Everybody Has A Secret
by QuietCreshendo
Summary: ***ABANDONED*** Everybody has a secret, but mine could turn Hogwarts upside down. I'm Lillith Lupin, and this is my story. LillithRon, HarryHermione, LupinMystery Woman
1. Diving In Head First

Chapter One: Diving in Head First

"Lillith, I think it's finally time that I go back to Hogwarts," My father told me one night in the summer before my fifth year. We were sitting in our living room, my father reading his latest Defense Against the Dark Arts text, and I reading One Thousands and One Morally Questionable Spells, Potions, and Charms.

"Okay, Dad," I said, barely blinking. He had taught at Hogwarts while I was in my second year at Beauxbatons, and he'd thought of going back again more than once. I was just glad he'd finally mustered up the courage to go back when the world now knew he was a werewolf.

"I mean for you to come alone this time," He said.

The teacup in my hand dropped to the floor and broke into three pieces, and my book followed it, smashing the three pieces into even smaller ones. "Are you sure? I mean, right after Uncle Sirius's death? Harry can't be in the best state," I said.

"I think he'll need this now more than ever, Lillith. I think it's time the two of you meet."

_September First…_

"Dad? Dad!" I yelled downstairs. "Dad, I can't find my Potions text anywhere, and my dragon's hide gloves are missing too! How am I going to fit all of my clothes in the Godforsaken trunk, anyway? DAD!" I yelled.

"Ow. Lillith, do you thinking you could be a little louder? I think Voldemort missed what you were saying," He commented dryly. He handed over my Potions text, and my battered looking dragon's hide gloves. "Anji was playing with them," he said, referring to my owl.

"Uh-oh. I knew I was forgetting something," I said, and laughed. I whistled for the owl in question, and with a hoot, he came sailing into my room, into his cage, and looked at me patiently, waiting for me to shut the cage. He nipped affectionately at me as I did.

"I guess you'll just have to but new ones in Hogsmeade. Now, Lillith, are you sure you've got everything? Because I can't send it to you if you do. I'll be at Hogwarts, too," He reminded me.

"I know, Dad. It's not like I'm deficient," I said, smiling. "Can we go now? Please? I don't want to miss the Hogwarts Express."

"You won't, Lill. We have an hour to get there, that's more than enough time, and then some so you can socialize before you get sorted."

"What if I'm not in Gryffindor?" I asked, starting to feel nervousness and dread creep into my excitement for the first time. "What if I'm put in Slytherin?" I asked, gasping at the possibility.

He chuckled. "I doubt that will happen. And if it does... I'll love you just the same," He replied.

"I think being Gryffindor's longest, meanest, bloodiest rival would put a damper on family relations," I quipped.

"I need you to promise me something before we leave," Remus said. "And if you can't make me this promise, I'll have to send you off to Beauxbatons as usual."

"Anything, Dad. Anything," I said. I'd been waiting far too long for the day I'd finally meet Harry. Dad had talked to me about him for years, and about Lily and James Potter.

"You have to promise me that you'll keep up to the same standards as you did in Beauxbatons. And that you won't slack off just because I'm one of your teachers. I won't go easy on you," He warned me.

"I know, Dad." As if he could ever be easy on me. I loved my father dearly, and he loved me. He'd raised me alone, as my mother had died a little over four months after giving birth to me. He'd always given me everything I could need, materially, as well as emotionally, and more. I hadn't made it easy on him either, I'd been a difficult baby, and a tricky kid to raise. I was overly curious, adventurous, and always pushed the limit. I'd given Dad a hard time. Now he paid me back. When I pushed, he pushed back. He pushed for better behavior, he pushed for better grades, for more concentration, for more focus, for more determinations. He loved me and wanted the best for me, and sometimes was a pain in my ass because of it.

"I'm nervous, Dad. My stomach won't stop jumping around. Maybe I should just go to Beauxbatons instead. This can wait a year. I'm not ready, I'm not... I'm a... train wreck," I finished.

"You can do this," He promised. "We aren't even going to tell Harry until he's gotten more comfortable, okay? That might take a while. So don't be nervous, not yet."

"Okay," I said. I sat down on my bed, taking deep breaths. "I can do this."

"You've got everything in your trunk?" He asked. I groaned, looking over at the trunk, still open because it was piled far too high to close. My father looked over at it and laughed. He raised his wand and pointed to my trunk. "_Reducto!_"

"Thanks, Dad," I said, as the clothes inside shrunk to fit into my trunk. I started to throw my shoes on top of the clothes in rapid succession until I cleared my shoes rack, and then snapped the lid of my trunk shut. "I'm ready," I said.

"Are you? Are you ready to meet Harry? Lillith," He said, "Are you ready to meet your brother?"

"Yes."


	2. Biting Your Tongue

Chapter Two: Biting Your Tongue and Sitting on Your Hands

"Are you honestly telling me to run headlong into a brick barrier? You must be batty, Dad. There is no way that even if Merlin told me to, I would go through a brick- oomph!" I grunted as he pushed my towards the brick wall, and before I could stop, I heard the roar of wind in my ears, and I felt cold.

I could hear sounds around me, but didn't want to open my eyes. _I'm dead, aren't I? I cracked my head on the brick wall and died of a brain bleed or something, and now I'm in one of two places…_

"Excuse me, but what are you doing with your eyes shut tight like that?" A male voice asked.

I looked up and nearly choked. The boy who had spoken to me was a sight to behold himself, his long red hair pulled back, looking good in battered muggle jeans, but behind him was…

"Harry, so good to see you again!" My father called out from behind me. He ran up to give Harry a clap on the back, and while they were chatting for a few moments, I inspected the two boys.

The redhead had to be Ron Weasley, and boy, had he changed from what Father had told me. No longer was he too skinny for his own good, and rough around the edges. He was six feet, roughly, and I'd heard he was the Gryffindor Keeper, and it showed in his muscle tone. Embarrassed for looking so long at him, I looked at Harry. He was tall, and a little lanky, with a little muscle definition, and shaggy black hair that reminded me of Sirius when he cleaned up. It was hard to miss his penetrating emerald eyes that literally sparkled in animation while he was talking to my Father.

"Lillith," Father called out, getting my attention. "Lillith, this is Harry, the one I told you about. Lily and James' child," he said.

"Hi, Harry," I said, smiling brightly. I felt like puking on his old, battered cross trainers, I was so nervous.

"Harry, this is my daughter, Lillith Lupin. Up until this year, she attended Beauxbatons. You met some of her classmates during your fourth year," Father told him.

"Professor Lupin, I didn't know you have a daughter," the redhead broke into the conversation.

"Well, Ron, you don't know everything about me," Father said, a twinkle akin to Dumbledore's in is eyes.

"Fair enough," Ron said.

"Well, this is fairly awkward," I said. "I guess Dad and I will just go and find a compartment…" I trailed off.

"Remus Lupin! Don't you dare get on that train without coming to see me!" A mock-outraged female voice called out. "And who is that darling child you have with you?" She asked, walking towards up. Judging by the hair alone, and the mass of other redheads she was walking with, she had to be Ron's mother.

"Molly Weasley, would I ever do that?" Dad joked. "And this darling child, as you so aptly put it is my daughter, Lillith Lupin," He explained. "Lillith, this is a long time friend of mine, and Ron Weasley's mother, Molly Weasley."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," I said, reaching out to shake her hand. Big mistake.

Instead, she wrapped me up in a big hug. "You call me Molly, you hear?"

I looked pointedly at Ron as if to say, help me! "Mum, I think you're squashing the poor girl," he said, gently prying her off of me.

"Now, dear, what year are you in? Because I know you'll want to make friends right away, and I have lots of children. You've met Ron, informally, though... The twins Fred and George are around here somewhere... and I seem to have lost my daughter, Ginny, now where did she go?" Molly pondered out loud.

"I'm in my fifth year, Mrs... Molly," I corrected myself.

"My daughter Ginny is in fifth year, but I seem to have lost her... Ginny, come over... Oh, my," she gasped as Ginny appeared by her side, and turning to face Ginny for the first time, I understood why.

My eyes went wide in shock, as did Ginny's, and it was almost like looking into a mirror.

"Oh, wow," Ginny said, in awe.

"Wow is right," I added.

"That's just downright freaky," Harry commented.

I wanted to be angry, but he was right. Ginny and I had the same, long, straight, red hair, the same shape of the face and cheekbones, and we had the same general height, weight, and body built. From behind, anyone would be hard pressed to tell us apart, even our parents.

"Um... I'm Lillith, Professor Lupin's daughter. But you can call me Lill, everyone does," I said, awkwardly.

"I'm Ginny. Well, Ginevra, but it's a little old sounding for a teenager, you know?" She said, as we settled into the flow of conversation. "Friends call me Gin."

"I think Ginevra's a pretty name," I said. I was going to say more, but I was interrupted by the train's whistle, and stared in horror as it started slowly moving.

"Oh, Merlin!" I cried.

Father pointed his wand at the mountain of trunks we had between Harry, Ron, Ginny and I. _"Wingardium Leviosa!"_

Each of us grabbed on to our respective floating trunks, and pulled them after us as we jumped onto the train, which was moving slightly faster now, on after another. I sighed in relief as the boys made it on behind Ginny and I.

"That was close," I said.

"Too close," Ginny agreed.

"Well maybe if you two fluff heads weren't chattering away," Ron suggested, before getting whacked in the arm with Ginny's purse. "Ow!" He cried. I followed suit, and whacked him with my purse, too. "Ow! There's two of 'em and they're ganging up on me! Harry!" He cried.

"Hey, leave me out of it, mate. We really should go and find a compartment and wait for Hermione, though."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you guys at the feast tonight, and maybe later if I end up in Gryffindor," I said, awkwardly, turning to go.

Ginny coughed, and I looked at them, and they looked back at me strangely. "We meant for you to come with us, Lillith," Harry said, laughing.

"Really, you guys don't have to be my friend just because I'm the Professor's daughter," I said.

"If we decide we hate you later, I promise I'll kick you out," Ron joked.

"Promise?" I joked back. "Okay, the search is on," I agreed.

We moved down the train, poking our heads in compartments here or there, and it was starting to look hopeless when none of them were found empty. Then, just as we were nearing the end of the train, Ginny cried out, "I found one!"

Excitedly, we pushed in, putting out floating trunks up on the rack above our heads. I took out my wand, a nine inch polished and stained mahogany wood wand with a veela hair core, and pointed it at the trunks. _"Finite Incantatem!"_

"Wow, nice wand," Ginny commented.

"Yeah, I got a new one year before last, but it's nowhere near that beauty," Ron added.

"Yeah, it is a great wand. I don't see what would have been wrong with getting one from Ollivander's but Dad insist that I had one custom made from France, and they only use veela hair there. It just screams money, and it's kind of embarrassing sometimes, you know?" I asked.

"Not really," Ron muttered. For the first time I took a good look at Ron and Ginny, and groaned. They had old, battered trunks, and last year's robes on, and Harry's and my trunks sat there next to theirs, gleaming and looking as new as the day we bought them, our robes in the latest style.

"Oh, crap. I put my foot in my mouth again, huh? I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I guess I just talk too much around new people, because I get nervous," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it, really. Harry over here has money coming out the arse, so we're used to it, really. Ron just has wand envy," Ginny commented. Ron grumbled from the seat across from Ginny. "So, what was is like growing up with Professor Lupin as a father?" Ginny asked.

"Do you mean what was it like growing up with a werewolf as a father, with a marauder as a father, or with a professor as a father?" I asked.

"All three," Ron said.

"Oh, Ronald, would you bite your tongue?" A messy haired brunette suggested, slipping into the compartment. "You must be Professor Lupin's daughter, the one everyone on the train is buzzing about."

"Must be," I said. "I'm Lillith Lupin. You must be Hermione Granger. My father's told me good things about you," I promised.

"Really, did he? That's so sweet of him," she said, settling in on Ginny's and my side of the compartment.

"He told me that you were the brightest young witch he'd ever seen, and that you proved Voldemort was wrong about muggle borns." Hermione absolutely beamed at that. "He also said that we could give each other a run for our money in that department."

"You mean I have someone to study with?" She asked excitedly.

"Not exactly. I'm in fifth year, but I am taking sixth year Astronomy and Charms," I told her. "My father has taught me just about every useful and morally questionable spell, charm, or hex there is out there," I said proudly.

"Morally questionably?" Harry and Ron perked up considerably at hearing that.

"Well, he is a marauder, after all," I replied. "Are you guys starving or what? I know I am," I said, taking a little box out of my purse. I set it on the floor and let it expand to a table covered in food. "Nifty little thing, huh? Dad bought it for me, perfect for a party or a picnic, because it knows what everybody around it is craving," I told them.

"I could get used to this, Lill," Ginny warned, digging into the pizza in front of her.

"I wasn't aware Professor Lupin had so much money," Hermione said gently.

"He doesn't like to spend the money we have. He mostly spends it on me," I said, thinking about it. _We_ didn't have money. _I _had money. My mother, Lily Potter had left me tons of it. Dad had enough money in a trust from his grandmother, and used that on groceries, household expenses, and himself. I knew my mother loved me, that was the hard part. She'd left me money, and she'd claimed me as stillborn and given me to my father to protect me. My father hadn't even known the child was his until Lily had showed up on his doorstep one night. Four months later, she died, before she could ever get to know me.

I swallowed back the thoughts and dug into a tray of potato skins in front of me. "But yeah, Dad supplies me with all the new gadgets. It's a little obnoxious at times. Everyone knows I have money, then."

"Hey, if you've got it..." Ginny started.

"By all means share it?" Ron suggested.

All of us burst out laughing. "Ron!"

_A Few Hours Later…_

"Hey, look out the window! Lill, look, quick!" Hermione said, excitedly. As we passed the hill, the enormous, beautifully lit castle came into view and I gasped.

"It's gorgeous," I said. "And huge!"

"We'd better change into our school robes, though, this means we'll be at the school in minutes," Harry warned.

I tucked my old robes away in my trunk and shrugged on my new black school robes, which were void of any other color or insignia. I felt let out as all of the other were proudly sporting red and gold trim on all of their clothes, and the Gryffindor insignia on their left breast pockets.

"Wow do I feel out of place," I said, laughing.

"A galleon says that before the night is out you're in Gryffindor tower with us," Harry said.

"A galleon says that I end up in Hufflepuff, with my luck," I muttered.

_Inside The Great Hall…_

I gasped when I was shuffled into the Great Hall with the first years. It was a huge room, the ceiling made to reflect the night sky. The ceiling was high up and the Staff Table spanned the distance of the Great Hall, perpendicular to the four huge house tables, their colorful banners with the House Insignias hanging above them.

"Welcome, Welcome!" Professor McGonagall said loudly, hushing the chattering student. Looks of confusion were evident on more than a few faces in the Great Hall, and all had to be wondering what a student my age was doing being sorted. It was rare indeed that Dumbledore excepted exchange students, so I had to be something special.

"We have a fifth year exchange student to be sorted, and she decided to get her sorting over with rather than waiting till the end," McGonagall said. "Please welcome to our school, Lillith Lupin."

Excited chatter raced through the Great Hall as I was seated on the stool, and the sorting hat placed on my head. It was an extremely large hat, coming down to my eyebrows, causing my view to be cut off just past the edge of the Gryffindor table.

_Well, well, what do we have here? I never expected to have another Evans under my brim._

_You don't. I'm a Lupin._

_But you are also an Evans, that you can't deny, my dear. You have quite a bit of Ravenclaw wisdom in you. And Gryffindor courage by the miles. You are also determined and cunning, a trait attributed to..._

_Don't you even think it, you silly little hat. I know you'd never put the daughter of Lily Potter or Remus Lupin in Slytherin._

_All right, if you insist. I hope it fits. Enjoy your time in..._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Feeling a little nervous and lightheaded, I made my way to the open seat in-between Ginny and Hermione, my robes now matching theirs.

"I think you owe me a galleon, Lill," Harry joked.

I begrudgingly tossed him one from pocket, and he caught it, surprised. "A bet is a bet, Harry."

Harry tossed it to Ron, and Ron looked down at it in awe. "I can't take this," he finally said.

"Yeah, you can. What the heck do I need it for? I have a Gringot's card, with gross amounts of money attached to it. Just take it, Ron. As Ginny so aptly put it, Harry and I have money coming out of the arse."

The people within earshot of us burst out laughing. "So, is it really true? Are you Professor Lupin's daughter?" Dean Thomas asked, excitedly.

"Yeah, are you?" Came more excited sounding students, among them being Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottam and Colin Creevy.

"Yes," I admitted, internally groaning, as I picked away at the steak and potatoes on my plate. "How can you be eating so much, Ron, we all pigged out less than three hours ago," I said. "I couldn't even move two hours ago I was so stuffed."

"Ronald is a bottomless pit," Hermione said with a grin.

"Could eat all day and still not be full," Ginny agreed.

"And yet it all turns into muscle, the lucky bastard," Harry said. "Some of us have to work for that."

Ron swallowed and grinned proudly. "Thank you," He said, before digging in again.

When everybody was finally full and feeling sleepy, Dumbledore rose from the teacher's table. "I don't think I need to impress upon you how important it is for you to stick together in the coming times. A war looms in the horizon and we are in trouble, my dears. However, if we stick together I know we will prevail. With that said, it is time for you to retire to your houses. Good night."

"Well, that was sufficiently scary," I said, as our little group made our way out of the Great Hall, and in the direction of Gryffindor tower.

"Dumbledore always makes those slightly creepy speeches at the beginning of the year. The man is brilliant, and everything he says you should take seriously. We learned our lessons last year," Hermione said sadly.

"Uncle Sirius," I confirmed.

We walked in silence before we reached the portrait. "Isis," I said, and the portrait swung open.

"So, let see who's stuck with who this year," Harry said, walking to the bulletin board by the fire.

I looked around at the common room, tastefully decorated in shades of red and gold, a large fireplace took up most of the wall next to the portrait entrance, and various overstuffed comfy chairs and couches faces the fire, a coffee table separating a few of them. The other wall was covered in book shelves, and the wall opposite to the portrait entrance had doorways leading to the various dormitories.

"Hey, look at this, they aren't teaming us up by year anymore," Ron said. "Hermione, you're roomed with Ginny and Lillith. Oh Merlin, Harry, we're roomed up with Neville and Colin," Ron said with a groan.

Hermione and Ginny started laughing hysterically, and in-between laughs, they promised I would understand when the morning came.

"Come on, let's go and check out our rooms," Ginny said, dragging me and Hermione by the arms through the doorway marked "Witches," as the boys went through the one marked "Wizards."

We came to stop at the portrait of Glenda the Good. "Dumbledore always did appreciate a good muggle move involving witched," Hermione commented. "A galleon says the Slytherin's got the Wicked Witch of the West."

"They did," Glenda said. "Hermione, Lillith, and Ginevra. Password set, please," She said.

"We need something good..." I said.

"Something no one else would know," Hermione agreed.

"Something Ron wont know," Ginny said.

"I've got it!" I cried. "Porcelain. As in doll," I said.

"Agreed," Glenda said, and the portrait swung open.

"Oh. My. God," Ginny gasped. "It's beautiful!" She cried, diving onto one of the three beautiful white iron canopy beds, and being swallowed up by the layers of blankets and dozen pillows in varying shades of pink.

I squealed as I let my toes sink into the plush, creamy pink carpet, and Hermione cried as the other wall was lined with two desks and four bookcases, "Lots of these are in the restricted section!"

"They're mine, from home. I don't know how he did it, or how he got a room this nice for me... It's so embarrassing," I groaned.

"I have no objections to the gross amount of money your father wishes to share," Hermione said with a laugh, as she claimed the bed that her trunk was next to.

"Let's check out the bathroom," Ginny suggested, throwing open the door near the end of my bed.

"Oh, baby!" I said, rubbing my face on the fluffy white monogrammed towels. Ginny ran her hands along one of the three porcelain sinks, and sighed.

"This tub is big enough to fit all three of us in it, and so is the shower!" Hermione explained. Next to the shower was a small door that no doubt led to the toilet, and I was proved correct when Ginny opened the door.

I turned the polished chrome fixture on one of the sinks and picked up my toothbrush as the other two girls followed suit. When our teeth were scrubbed minty fresh, I threw open the door to our closet, only to discover it was a walk-in. It took me a few minutes, but I eventually dug out three pairs of pajamas for us.

"Just so you guys know, anytime you want to borrow my clothes, feel free. I have enough for a small army of girls," I told them, settling into my bed. I clapped my hands together, and the lights dimmed to almost dark.

"Good night," Ginny whispered into the dark.

"Good night."

"Good night." I'd worry about secrets and new friends tomorrow.


	3. Bonds Formed and Pasts Remembered

Chapter Three: Bonds Formed and Pasts Remembered

"You know what's really weird?" Harry asked the next morning between bites of a cream cheese slathered bagel.

"What?" I asked, digging into an omelet filled with bacon, sausage, and hot peppers.

"The picture to our dormitory... It's the courageous lion from the-"

"Wizard of Oz?" I finished for him.

"How did you know?" He asked, pausing.

"We have Glenda the Good Witch," Hermione explained. Ginny snickered.

"We made a bet that Slytherin would have the Wicked Witch of The West," Ginny said. "I wonder which ones Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw have," she mused thoughtfully.

"Without a doubt, Hufflepuff has the scarecrow," Hermione continued.

"A sickle says that Ravenclaw has the tin man," Harry added.

"I bet Flitwick has the entire Lollipop Guild," Ron said, and I burst out laughing.

"Ronald, that is so mean," Hermione admonished, while trying to hide her smile.

"Maybe if Ginny would stop snickering over there, I'd be a little more convinced it wasn't funny," He said dryly.

I worked hard to pull my stare away from him. "Has everybody got their timetables?" I asked, and they all nodded. "Aw, crap," I groaned. "I have Defense Against the Dark Arts with my Father... and it's first thing!" I cried.

"Ouch," Ginny said, looking at me like she felt sorry. "At least you'll have a friend in there," she said.

"I have a free period before lunch, after my Potions class," I said.

"So do I," Harry said, grinning. "Well, it's after my Divination class."

"Score, I have Charms second period," Ron said.

I almost swallowed my tongue to keep from squealing. I have a class with him... today! "Cool. I'm in your Charms class."

"But, how? You're in fifth year, and we're all in sixth," He said, confused.

"Ron," I almost barked at him. "Don't you pay any attention? I told you last night on the train, I'm taking sixth year Charms and Astronomy." _What am I, dog chow? He hasn't remembered a word I've said to him since we met. Dammit, how could I get him to notice me?_ I wondered.

_In Charms..._

"Hermione? If I tell you something do you promise not to tell a single soul, not Harry, not Ginny, and especially not Ron?" I asked, as we practiced Sleeping Charms. We were sitting there, waiting for Harry and Ron to wake up.

"Sounds juicy," she said, perking up. "I promise."

"I think... I have a crush on... Ron," I whispered, almost as if I though he could listen in his sleep.

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Oh. My. God," she said, almost falling off of her stool in shock. "Lillith Medea Lupin. You scandalous girl," she said, when she could finally manage words. "To each their own. Do you plan on, you know... going after him?" She asked.

"I might if he didn't think I was a rich ditzy nobody," I said. "If you didn't notice how Ron reacted to my gross displays of wealth, you'd have to be blind."

"Well, Ron can be bitter at times. You just have to wait it out and prove that you're not mean about the money you have, and by all means, never offer to lend him money or anything like that, it'll score you no points," she stressed.

"I wouldn't. I know that would be rude, and a slap to the face for anyone," I agreed, seriously. "But he's just so... hot," I said. "For lack of a better word."

"Who's hot, for lack of a better word?" Ron asked, groggily, as his eyes fluttered open.

I grinned down at him, giving him a hand, and pulling him up. The touch almost sent a jolt of electricity down my spine. I let go of his hand while I still could. "No one," I said, shaking my head. "Just this guy in Gryffindor that I met last night. He's a little older, and obsessed with the Chudley Cannons," I said. Harry grinned, upon hearing me, and it was clear that everyone but Ron himself understood whom I was talking about.

"I gotta meet this guy, I love the Chudley Cannons," He said, completely oblivious. Harry and Hermione started laughing, while I shook my head. "What?" He asked, confused.

"Nothing, nothing..." I assured him, cracking.

Ron got angry, because he knew we were laughing at him, and before I knew what hit me, I had fallen asleep.

_Oops…_

"Ron, you are not supposed to throw the charm at them out of spite," Harry said, groaning. "They'll probably be out for the rest of the period, now."

"I got pissed. It's probably the zillionth time I've made an ass out of myself in front of her, and I met her twenty-four hours ago!" He sighed, and turned to Harry. "I like her."

"So you knocked her out?" Harry asked, incredulously, trying to keep from laughing.

"I don't know how to deal with her," he said, exasperated. "She is so unbelievably out of my league, and filthy stinking rich to boot. I'm a piss poor Weasley, and there are better looking guys than me in this school, and that guy she likes..." he protested.

"Merlin, Ron. She was talking about you, you idiot," Harry explained.

"You all knew that, huh?" He asked, biting his lip. "Either way, she'd be sorely disappointed. I can't be the kind of boyfriend she's used to, showering her with expensive presents like she's got money dripping off of her."

"So you're saying she's a gold digger," Harry asked evenly.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Ron snapped.

"So you're saying she's the type of girl who will only date rich guys?" Harry asked.

"No, I'm saying she's the type of girl wouldn't date _me_!" Ron shouted. All talking in the room ceased, and with one last glare, Ron left the room.

_Later That Night..._

"Ugh..." I groaned, struggling to open my eyes. I felt as though I had been heavily drugged, like I was trying to walk through Jell-O. "Hermione?" I asked. My voice echoed back to me, so I assumed I was in Gryffindor tower. It was pitch black, and I felt around for my wand, and found it on my bedside table. I flicked my wand, and the room filled with light, revealing a sleep looking Hermione smiling on the bed next to me.

"Fighting through a marshmallow?" She asked.

"I thought Jell-O, but marshmallow works. What time is it?" I asked. "What happened?"

"Ron sent us for an extended nap," she said, cheerily. "Everybody's down at dinner."

"I'm making great progress with him, huh?" I asked. "At this rate, he'll put me in the same category as Malfoy, soon."

"You're exaggerating," she admonished.

"But by how much? He thinks I'm a rich bitch."

"Probably," she agreed. She turned on her side and leaned up on one elbow, though it sank into the fluffy pink comforters,

"Thanks for the reassurance!" I cried, jumping to my feet.

"Lillith I don't think-"

My legs promptly collapsed under me, and I looked up at her stupidly from the floor. "What the hell," I swore.

"I tried to tell you. When Ron gets angry, his charms are pretty strong. He once levitated Flitwick when he was aiming for Flitwick's wand."

My eyes went wide, and then I grinned viciously. "Powerful, huh?" I asked.

"Ew," was all Hermione said.

"So, if everyone else is at dinner, how are we supposed to eat when we can't walk?" I asked.

"Ginny promised to bring us something from the kitchens," She said. Her stomach let out a loud growl. "I really hope she hurries up, because we slept through lunch. Damn Ron."

"Yeah, damn him. When I can walk again, I'll..." I stopped as Hermione looked at me, as if realizing the hilarity of what was happening, and what I'd said, and we burst out laughing as the portrait swung open, and Ginny carried in a platter of food.

"You know, I don't understand why you couldn't just use Lill's little food box thingy," Ginny said, setting it down on a little fold up table she'd brought with her. "What are you doing on the floor?" She asked.

"I thought I'd take a nap," I snapped.

Her eyebrows rose. "Fine, see if I help you up," she said, and pranced on by me.

"Ginevra Weasley, if you leave me lying here, so help me God..." I warned.

Ginny laughed, and pulled me up off the floor, helping me to Hermione's bed, and we started plowing into the pot roast, and pot roast potatoes covered in gravy. I swallowed. "And we didn't use my Instant Picnic 3000 because I was unconscious, and the only person who knew where it was, and we couldn't walk to get to it," I said. "Ginny, does your brother have a girlfriend?" I asked, trying to sound passive.

"No, are you kidding, he's..." She paused. "Wait a second, you've got a point. Why doesn't Ron have a girlfriend? Hermione, you said yourself he'd gotten very good looking. Why do you think he doesn't have a girlfriend?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe he's gay," Hermione suggested, smirking, as if she was trying to provoke me. I glared at her.

"You know, Hermione, a few public smirks like that, and people might start questioning your innocence,'" I said.

Her mouth gaped. "Me, innocent?" She deadpanned.

"Why did you want to know if he had a boyfriend, anyways?" Ginny asked.

"Just wondering, no reason," I said. _Because he's got a cute ass,_ I thought.

"I think he's got his sights on someone at school, though. He was acting funny today," she mentioned.

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. "I think I'm gonna just go to the library and do my homework," I said, standing to my wobbling feet, grabbing my bag, and leaving the room.

"Huh," Ginny said. "Was it something I said?"

_After Potions Next Friday..._

I was headed to the common room for my free period, when I could have sworn I heard someone calling my name. I was just outside of Professor McGonagall's classroom, and I paused. When I didn't hear anything, I began walking again, when I heard it louder this time. I turned around, and saw Harry, jogging to catch up with me.

"Hey! I know you have a free period, and so do I, so I thought I'd hang out with you," He said. He paused, as if wondering whether or not to say something, and then he got serious. "I know Remus is your father, so I was wondering, did you... did you know Sirius?" He asked, and his eyes went a little dark.

"Harry, maybe we shouldn't talk about this yet," I said, avoiding his eyes.

He grabbed my arm. "Lillith, please," he begged, and his sorrowful green eyes killed me. "You're the only I can talk to about this." _My brother needs me,_ I thought. _He needs me. How can I turn him down?_

"I called him Uncle Sirius," I whispered, as we came to the common room. Tears welled in my eyes, as Harry steered me to the couch. "He was a great guy, huh?" I asked, my vision blurred.

"He was. He was the closest thing to a father I ever had," Harry whispered, and as tears flowed freely down my face, I could see him fighting them.

"Oh, Harry," I said, and awkwardly patted him, not sure if he was comfortable enough for me to hug him. All of my hesitation flew out of the window when he pulled me into a crushing hug. To be close to Harry like this, after so long of not knowing him, and hoping and wishing for him to want me as family, it was almost too much, and the tears weren't just for Sirius anymore.

"They're horrible to me, the Dursleys, my Aunt and Uncle, and he made them be nice to me. But they know he's dead, and they're horrible again, and I don't have anyone to turn to. Sirius was my father in every way that mattered to me, and I let him down, and he died to save me from my mistake," He said, crying. He was my own brother and I didn't know how to comfort him. I felt so inadequate. The best I could give him was understanding, and true empathy.

"I didn't have a mother growing up, she died before I ever knew her, but Sirius was like another parent to me, and losing him was crushing. The house is empty without him in it. When I was twelve, he stayed with us all summer, and he read me stories, and all the stuff a mother would do," I said. "Did you know he could braid hair?" I asked, remembering the nights when I would take the brush from my father and give it to Sirius.

"_Ow," I cried, as Daddy pulled through another knot in my hair. It was a hot night, and my hair was wet and warm, and all I wanted was it off of my neck, and Daddy kept yanking through my curls._

"_I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm not very good at this. I'm trying my hardest, but your hair is so curly," He said. He pulled through another curl, and I cried out in frustration, and grabbed the brush out of his hands, and ran across the hall._

"_Uncle Sirius," I cried, and he looked up. My lower lip trembled. "He yanked and it hurt... and he can't brush... and it's too hot," I wailed._

"_Oh, princess, come here," He said, laughing, and pulled me up into his lap, taking the brush from my hand._

"_You won't yank, will you?" I asked, staring at him hard._

"_Of course not," He said, seriously, looking offended._

"_Promise?" I asked._

"_I promise," He said, laying a kiss on my forehead._

Harry laughed. "I'm not surprised. He loved me and it sounds like he loved you, and I know he'd do anything for someone he loved."

"He used to call me his little princess," I whispered. "I miss him."

"I miss him too. I can't help but blame myself for what happened. If he hadn't been trying to protect me, then Sirius never would have gone to the Department of Mysteries, and he never would have fallen through the veil."

"Harry, you can't blame yourself. Anyone in your position would have done the same, and Sirius loved you too much not to try and help you. This isn't your fault," I stressed, looking into his eyes. It was hard to keep the stare, seeing the pain and sorrow in his eyes, but he needed to understand. "Sirius wouldn't want us to be spending our free period being blubbering messes over him."

"Yeah, he'd probably want us out and raising hell," Harry said, laughing, while wiping away his tears. "And Lillith... If you tell anyone I cried... Well, I'll have to kill you," he swore. "No offense, of course."

"Of course not," I said seriously. I couldn't hold it for long though, because two seconds passed in silence, and my face melted into a smile, and we were both laughing. "Um, Harry... does Ron have a girlfriend?" I asked.

"No, why would you ask that?" Harry wondered. "Do you have a _crush_ on him?" He teased.

I stuck out my tongue at him. "Of course not. But I don't know anything about the guy, other than what Ginny's told me, of course. So I went straight to the source, his best friend."

"Well, he doesn't have a girlfriend. He had a crush on Hermione in our third and fourth years, but he gave up when she went to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum. She's been dating him ever since, and Ron's interest is now only in the male half of their relationship, because Krum's a Quidditch superstar," Harry explained.

"I know; I love Quidditch. I'd try out for the House team, but all of the positions are filled, which is a shame. I'm a killer beater; it's my form of anger management. I get to hurl bowling balls at people I don't like, basically," I explained, and Harry looked at me wide-eyed before we both started laughing.

"Actually, Fred decided to take up an open Chaser slot, and people are having trouble playing in tune with George ever since. It's a long shot, but you could be the new Gryffindor beater," Harry said. "I'm not making promises, because George is difficult to play in tune with. But... if you're open for a challenge..."

"Oh, boy, am I!" I exclaimed. I clasped my hands together and gave him big, puppy dog eyes, that no male or teacher could resist. "Please, Harry? Pretty please?" I begged.

He looked pained. "Okay, Merlin, okay, but just stop looking at me that way. It's killer," he said with a sigh.

"I've spent years perfecting it, it should be," I said, with a satisfied smile.

"I see why you had Sirius wrapped around your little finger." Harry snorted.

"Yup. Princess down to the bone," I proclaimed proudly.

"I think he'd be proud of you," Harry told me seriously.

"He'd be proud of _us._ And I think he'd be happy we finally met," I said. _He'd probably be happier if I told you that I'm your sister..._ I thought to myself.

"Thanks for this, Lillith. You were really great about how you handled this. Anyone else would have freaked out," He said.

"Don't think anything of it, Harry, we're practically family," I said. _We are family._

"We are family," He said, echoing my thoughts, and I couldn't help but grin.

_Defense Against The Dark Arts..._

"Hey, Ginny," I whispered, when my father's back was turned. My father had disappointed today, which was rare. Usually his lessons are super exciting, but we were doing mostly bookwork today, and I was ready to tear my hair out. _A girl needs a little action,_ I thought.

"Yeah? What's up?" She asked, turning to me.

"I was thinking that we should hang out tonight, look up love potions and spells in the library or something equally bad," I suggested. "We haven't really hung out much and I feel bad. I'm spending all of my time with Harry and Hermione, I know."

"It's alright. Professor Lupin is like a father to Harry, it's only a given that you'd be so close. Besides, you and Hermione study together," she said. "I'm a notorious slacker, so I only study with you guys like, twice a week. But yeah, getting into trouble sounds good."

"We could flip through _101 Morally Questionable Spells and Charms_," I suggested. "Lots of them aren't traceable," I told her, and she smiled widely.

"Oh, yeah. That's definitely worth looking up," she said, nodding.

Later that night we were hidden in the depths of the Library, in places no one had gone in in years, flipping through my huge book that had been my last birthday present from Sirius. He must have bought it early, because over the summer on June 31st, it had appeared on my bed with a card. It had been eerie, since he was dead, and sad at the same time. I'd cried for hours.

_Dear Lillith,_

_I know your father would disapprove, but I'm encouraging you Marauder heritage. Take this book, memorize it and raise some hell for me at school next year. I love you, and I'll visit as soon as it's safe again._

_Always,_

_Uncle Sirius_

_I sat on bed as the tears fell. Just breath... And someday it'll get easier..._

"This is a good one," Ginny said. "It makes things explode. _Vilotal!_" She said, laughing. "Good one for Montague's cauldron."

"Oh, yes," I whispered wickedly. "Definitely. Does your brother know how much like Fred and George you are?" I asked.

"Goodness, no. He'd write home to Mum, and I'd get the howler of my life," She said.

"Speaking of Fred and George," I said. "Didn't they start a joke shop last year?" I asked. "What happened to it?"

"Mom blew a gasket when she found out. At the beginning of August the three of them finally reached an agreement and they appointed a manager for the school year so they could finish Hogwarts and appease Mum, and they can keep their baby going until they get out of school."

"Yeah, I knew they didn't shut down, people get packages from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes every day almost."

"They're loaded now. You should see what they got me for my birthday this past year. The clothes they bought me are so expensive, I'm almost embarrassed to wear them," she said. "Almost being the operative word," she added with a smirk. "Ron's jealous, they got him a snake in a box. He almost pissed himself."

_Poor Ron,_ I thought, but kept it to myself. I'd never hear the end of it if Ginny knew I liked Ron.

"Sound's like Ron's had it rough growing up with the twins," I said, trying to act casually.

"Well, I guess they play a lot of pranks on him now that I think about it," Ginny murmured, finally looking up from the book. "But Ron thinks of it as he gets a sneak peak at the new products. Fred and George aren't mean, really," she insisted.

"They just have a warped sense of humor?" I finished.

"Exactly," she said with a grin

I turned back to the book, reassured, and pointed out a spell, excitedly. "This one's great for Malfoy! It'll turn him into a girl for four hours!"


	4. Conflicts Resolved, Renewed

Four: Conflicts Resolved, Renewed, and Confidents Found

It seemed like the days passed by quickly as I settled into school at Hogwarts. I spent more time with Harry talking about Sirius and what he had been like, and how having Remus for a father had affected me. I spent time with Hermione and Ginny doing girly stuff. Soon I had formed friendships with each of them. Ron, however, avoided me, no matter how hard I tried to get him to like me. He took it so far as to stop spending time with Harry, Hermione, or Ginny, because I spent so much time with them. I knew I had to something before I came between them all.

"I don't get it. I mean, was it something I did or said? He's avoiding me like I'm they bleeding plague or something," I said one night in the Gryffindor tower. "I mean, Ron isn't normally anti-social, is he? I mean, if you're worried too, this can't be normal, right?" I asked, looking from Hermione, to Harry, and then to Ginny and back again. They all looked as stumped as I was.

"This isn't like Ron," Harry finally said. "But Lill, don't blame yourself, you've done nothing wrong."

"Maybe not in our eyes," I pointed out to him. "But maybe Ron doesn't see it that way. Maybe he thinks that I'm stealing you guys away. I couldn't blame him."

"That's a whole lot of maybes that I'm hearing from you, and that's ridiculous. Ron grew up with six brothers and sisters. I think he knows how to share," Ginny insisted.

Hermione settled back into the plush, red velvet couch that she and Ginny were sharing and looked across the coffee table at Harry and I. "Well, Ron doesn't always think logically. He and Harry have been best friends for six years now, and I hate to say it, but Harry, you and Lillith have gotten so close, it's hard to tell who you like more. Maybe… he's even trying to give you space because he thinks you like Lillith," Hermione said, and a pang of jealousy showed in her eyes. I couldn't help but wonder if she…

"Ew," I said. "Oh, gross…" _Harry's my brother, that's just plain wrong!_ I thought. _However, Ron doesn't know that…_ A little voice nagged at me.

"Lillith's right, that's sick. I think of her as my sister," Harry agreed. _Hopefully that'll soften the blow when I have to tell you later on, I couldn't help but think. All these things I'm keeping in…_

"Well, considering Ron hasn't been around lately, he couldn't know that," Ginny pointed out, and I groaned.

"He thinks I like his best friend. His rich best friend. Further portraying me as soul-sucking gold digger," I said.

"Well, if you insist, we can start calling you that," Harry teased.

"That's not very funny, Harry," Hermione chided. "Some of us miss the goofball."

"That's not fair, Hermione," I said, and her face softened. "We can't snap at each other, it'll just make it worse. However, none of you has changed, therefore you can't do anything. I'm the only thing that has changed in this group, so I have to handle it," I said firmly. "I guess I just have to kick it up a notch."

_Breakfast…_

"Hey, Ron?" I all but purred at him, tapping him on the shoulder. "Could you be a doll and pass the maple syrup to me?" I asked, smiling at him.

He muttered something unintelligible, and with a thunk, dropped the maple syrup in front of me. I shot of an exasperated look and Harry, and he shook his head.

"Hey, Ron," I began, and he cut me off.

"Lillith, I have to get to class. Maybe later," He said, picking up his messenger bag. With one last flash of his long red hair, he flew out of the Great Hall.

I groaned, pounding my first against the table. "I don't even like maple syrup," I mumbled. Ginny spit out her pumpkin juice, laughing. "Thanks," I muttered.

_Charms…_

I looked down at the textbook, and scrunched up my face, trying to look confused. I looked around for Flitwick, and thankfully, he was deeply engrossed in a conversation with another student. I looked over at Harry and Hermione, and they gave me a thumb up and immediately launched into a heated debate that no one could break up.

I sighed deeply. "This is so confusing," I said in a mock whisper, loud enough for Ron to hear me across the aisle. He didn't look up; I don't think he even blinked. I sighed loudly again. He didn't even twitch.

"Humph," I blew out, in frustration. Rolling my eyes, I unbuttoned the first three buttons of my shirt and turned to him, leaning over. "Ron, I'm having trouble understanding the theory behind Maginero's Obliviate. Do you think you could help me?" I asked.

He looked up, his face red. "Are you kidding me?" He asked, angrily. "I've been reading the same page for twenty minutes, Lupin. I couldn't help a tree monkey. Bug off," He said, and turned back to his book.

My face fell, and I turned to Harry and Hermione, shocked. Their expressions mirrored mine, and Harry looked a little miffed. "What was that?" I mouthed to Hermione.

"I have no idea," she mouthed back.

_In Potions…_

"I just don't get it, Gin," I said to her while stirring the potion as she dropped ingredients into the potion. "He was really mean."

"I don't understand, either. I mean, Ron can be a little rude sometimes, but he's almost never flat out mean," Ginny promised. "He had to have been having a bad day, that isn't like Ron."

"That's what everybody keeps saying," I began, "but it's getting harder and harder to believe. I've been trying to get him to warm up to me all week, and it's like the Blizzard of '92."

"You'll just have to give him some time, I guess," she soothed. "If something's bugging Ron as bad as we all think it is, he'll let loose with it some time soon," she muttered.

"The only question is whether or not he'll let loose with it before his friendship with Harry and Hermione is destroyed," I said, and handled the spoon to her, careful that it never stopped being stirred. If we stopped stirring it one moment too soon, the entire thing would turn to mud.

"Sorry to crush you on this, but there's no way to tell with Ron," she conceded.

I groaned. "I'll have gray hair before we patch this up," I growled. I reached for the eyedropper, dropped three drops of unicorn's blood into the cauldron, and counted as Ginny stirred. _I'll be too old to go after Ron by the time he warms up to me,_ I though, angrily. I could hear my stomach gurgling as I got more frustrated. "Sorry," I said sheepishly to Ginny.

"Sorry for what?" She asked, confused.

"My stomach."

"That's not your stomach, that's the potion, silly," she said, smiling.

"Ginny, it's not supposed to gurgle," I whispered.

"What about bubble?" She asked, a scared look on her face.

"Uh-uh," I said, grimacing. I looked down, as it threatened to bubble over. "_Everybody down!_" I screamed, and shouts could be heard throughout the dungeons as everyone dived to the floor, and the potion exploded everywhere with a loud bang.

I squirmed uncomfortably as I felt the goop hit my back, and it made an almost painful heating sensation.

"Ms. Lupin, what was that?" Professor Snape shouted, when it was safe to stand up.

"I guess you missed it, sir, but that was my potion exploding," I said, trying for humor.

His face went red, and I assumed it hadn't worked. "What I meant, Ms. Lupin, was why did it explode?" He asked, striding toward me in an eerie calm.

"I don't know, sir," I answered honestly.

"What was the last ingredient you added?" He asked, his jaw twitching.

"Three drops of unicorn's blood," I replied.

"Three drops?" He asked, calmly, his eye twitching, now. I began to get frightened. "Whatever possessed you to use three when the instructions definitely called for two?" He asked, his head jerking to the left a little.

"Well, sir, I was speed-reading through the instructions-"

"You what?" He screamed. "How could you be so irresponsible? I told you the potion is extremely volatile!" He shouted. "Everybody to the hospital wing to be checked out," He ordered. "Who knows what reactions you may have to Ms. Lupin's mess?" I started to move towards the door. "Oh, no, Ms. Lupin. Not you. You will stay behind and clean up this mess. You may be checked out when you're done." He handed me a sponge. "Get scrubbing, no magic."

I was on my hands and knees scrubbing when he stopped in the doorway. "Oh, and Ms. Lupin?" He asked.

I looked up. "Yes, Professor?" I asked.

"Detention, tonight, at seven 'o clock sharp."

_In Our Dorms…_

"Hermione, why do I feel like I'm running into a brick wall where Ron's concerned?" I asked her. We were in our dormitory paining our toenails.

"Because you are," she replied.

"Gee, thanks for the compassion," I said dryly, and she grinned at me.

"Well, it's true. For some reason, he's resisting you," she explained. "This doesn't make sense, because any red blooded wizard would be all over you. You all but sit in the guys lap," she quipped.

"You're tormenting me," I accused. "The only way I could flirt any more would be to get naked and wait for him in his bed," I shouted in frustration.

"So do it," Hermione teased.

"Hermione, do you mind if I ask you something off topic?" I questioned.

"Sure, shoot," She replied absently, starting on the topcoat of her nails.

"Everybody talks about how bookish and shy you are, but you're never like that. What's up?" I asked. This had been bugging me for the entire month.

She looked up at me, surprised, mid-brushstroke. "I was wondering when you'd ask me about that," she sighed, regaining her composure, and continued with her nail polish.

"So, what changed?" I asked eagerly.

"I fell in love with Harry," she admitted, a smile creeping onto her face. "It changed me, falling for a man marked for death. It tends to make you rethink your priorities," she remarked with a snort.

"But… Harry said you're dating Viktor Krum," I exclaimed.

"I broke up with Viktor at the beginning of the summer. I couldn't deny my feelings for Harry anymore, and it wasn't fair to Viktor. Harry and I decided not to tell anyone, because we didn't want things with Ron to be awkward," she clarified.

"But Ron doesn't like you anymore," I blurted out, jealousy creeping into my voice.

"I know that, Lill. However, all three of us are friends and his two friends dating might have made him feel awkward. I think we should tell him now, though. I'd like to see my boyfriend without sneaking about," she said.

"So, you want your man and I want mine. I guess I have to kick it up another notch."

_Before Astronomy…_

I saw a flash of red hair a few feet ahead of me, and ran to catch up to him before I lost him… again. "Ron, can you help me? The staircases keep changing, and I'm lost, and I'm going to be late for Astronomy," I pleaded, grabbing his arm.

He turned to face me, his face calm and even. "I have a meeting with Professor McGonagall; I don't have time, Lillith. I'm going to be late for the first half of class as it is. I think you can figure it out, you're a big girl," He snapped, and turned promptly, walking off in a huff.

"But… I really was lost this time," I whispered to an empty corridor.

_In Astronomy…_

I had just reached my desk in Astronomy when Ron blew in. He begrudgingly took the only seat open, right beside mine. "I just got here," I said.

He looked as if he was trying very hard to control himself before he turned and snapped, "Not my fault."

I huffed, throwing my book on my desk loudly, and flipping it open to the right page. _How could he be so… so… so rude? He had better be a nice guy like I thought, and a damn good kisser to be worth all this,_ I thought, trying hard to focus on the page in front of me, but I couldn't stop thinking about turning to the left of me and strangling Ron. The entire tower was engrossed in the work scroll that we had to fill in and Professor Willows was on the top of the tower, doing god only knows what. Willows was a great teacher, but he was a total nut.

Before I knew it, the bell had rung, and my scroll was half-empty. Embarrassed, I left it on Willows' desk and left the room quickly. This was all Ron's fault, I thought. When he came out of the room, I stopped him. He looked angry, so I started talking before he could give me an excuse and run off again. "Ron, I know that you've been avoiding me lately, but I really need you help. Please hear me out," I pleaded.

He let out a deep breath. "Okay, let me hear it. You _are_ Harry's friend after all."

"I noticed that you're really good in Astronomy," I began, and when he perked up and almost smiled, I continued, "and I'm having some trouble catching up, and it would be a super huge help if you could tutor me." This was going to take a lot of faking. Astronomy was my best subject.

He let out a half scowl, half smirk, and it was a little scary looking, until that calm, even look settled over his face again. "Okay. I'll do it, but we have to work around the Quidditch schedule," he said.

"No problem, I'll have to get used to that anyway. Next Monday, I'm trying out to fill in you brother, Fred's old beater position," I said, brightly. "Harry told me that if I'm half as good as my father told him I was, I'd be a shoe-in."

Ron frowned. "Okay. I have practice tomorrow and Wednesday, and I need to study for my own classes on Friday night. So, can you wait until Thursday?" He asked, impatiently.

"Thursday's fine. Thursday's perfect," I replied.

"I'll see you then," he snapped, and then was gone.

_In Our Dormitory…_

I rushed through the door immediately after my last class of the day, and knocked Hermione over in my haste. "Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry," I apologized, helping her up and dusting her off. "But, Hermione," I said, my eyes shining, "I did it! He talked to me and agreed to hang out with me. Well, that's not true, but he's agreed to tutor me in Astronomy on Thursday night!"

Hermione looked at me as if I had three heads. "Astronomy is your best subject," she said, as if she were talking to a three year old.

"I know, but it's a subject that Ron's really good at, so it makes sense I'd go to him if I were having trouble, right?" I asked. She nodded, so I continued. "Not to mention, since Ron's been such a wanker and hasn't been paying any bleeding attention to me, he doesn't know it's my best subject."

Understanding spread across her face and she broke into a grin. "So you're going to make a '_study date_,'" she said, using air quotes. Everyone knows that studying never gets done on a study date.

"Uh-huh," I breathed, smirking.

"No way," she said in disbelief.

"Oh, yes, Hermione. On Thursday night, Gryffindor's bad boy of the year is going to start slipping, sliding, falling. For me," I declared.

Muffled cheers could be heard from our Dormitory.

_Thursday Night in my Dormitory…_

"No," I said, vetoing yet another outfit. "That's just not... right." I was sprawled out on the floor of the walk-in closet, and Ginny and Hermione were helping me pick out an outfit for my study date with Ron tonight. Ginny didn't know just who I was trying to impress, but she did understand the need for sex appeal. However, if we didn't find an outfit soon, I would have no need for sex appeal, as Ron would kill me for being late.

"What about this?" Ginny asked, holding up a denim skirt of her own possession.

My eyes bugged out. "Ginny, that thing would be tiny on me," I choked out. "I'd look like a floozy."

"So?" She asked. "It'd get the job done."

I had to agree with her, Ron would go completely gaga, but I had a reputation to protect. If I wanted to find the perfect outfit sometime this century, I'd have to explain. "I'm looking for a subtle type of sex appeal. Something to steal his breath, not give him an instant erection."

Hermione almost choked on the rice cake she'd just popped into her mouth, and Ginny burst out into laughter. "Okay, I think I've got ya," she gasped.

When the two of them had finally calmed down, Hermione held up a pair of stonewashed light colored denim Levi's. "What about these?" Hermione asked. They were worn out, banged-up, battered, and hugged in all the right places. They had to be Ginny's. The piece de resistance was the strategically placed rip in the right knee. They were the perfect balance of my tough girl persona and my sexual presence.

"They're perfect," I insisted, snatching them out of her hand. "Now, all we need is the perfect top."

Hermione and Ginny dug through our collective wardrobes, and minutes later, Ginny went rigid. "I think I found it," Ginny echoed, hollowly. She turned around, holding an emerald green silk top that I hadn't seen in a number of years.

"It has to be magical," Hermione breathed. It had short, fluttery sleeves, and floated away from the midsection, skimming all of the right curves. Fingering the golden-threaded embroidery at the neckline, she whispered, "It's beautiful."

"I think it _is_ magical," I told them. "It was my mother's, and my father showed me it years ago, saying that it would come to me when I was ready for it. It's one of the only two possessions of hers that I have. The other one is my locket," I said, fingering the one in question, which hung around my fair colored neck. It was silver, and the front was hand carved into a swirly design, and held a small emerald in the middle of it.

I looked down at my other hand, which was unconsciously reaching for the top. "I think it wants you to wear it," Ginny said, surprised. "Sometimes there's a magical pull between the child and the deceased parent's things," she explained.

I took a deep breath, and slithered into my new outfit, then sat down at our large vanity, and looked in the mirror. Ginny and Hermione kneeled on either side of me, and looked back at me in the mirror. I grabbed a brush and nervously yanked through my curly ringlets, until a laughing Hermione gently took it out of my hands, and brushed through my hair for me.

"Mate, you are so nervous," Ginny said. "Just chill out. You're one of the greatest people I know. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

"Even you brother?" I asked. Ginny gaped at me. "He's who I'm trying to impress, Gin. It's not just for you guys that I'm trying to get him to like me," I admitted.

"Even my brother. He'll never know what hit him," She promised. She swirled some peach colored blush on my cheeks, and after I'd applied lip gloss, she pushed me from our closet and our dormitory. "Go get him."

I wandered down the corridor, and into the common room where I found Ron on a couch in front of the fireplace, his Astronomy book out.

"Ron?" I asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

He glanced over his shoulder quickly. "Hey, Lillith. Come over here, I figure we should start with the work scroll that we were supposed to do today, I noticed you only completed half of it, and half of that was wrong," He drawled. He had a voice that was smooth and had a burn to it, like whisky, and I willed my insides not to melt as I sat down next to him. _He has barely noticed my outfit,_ I thought, disappointed.

"Lillith," Ron said, making me look up into his eyes. My mouth went dry. We had been studying for a little over a half an hour, and I was almost positive the jig was up. "You know this stuff, you're not behind," He accused. "Why all the pretending? Why would you want to spend time near me after the way I've treated you?" He asked.

"Damn, I thought I could pull off looking stupid," I said.

"Yeah, and so could Hermione," He snapped.

"You think I'm as smart as Hermione?" I asked, perking up.

"Well, yeah, you're brilliant!" He said. "If anything, you should be helping me. So, tell me. Why did you try and play dumb?"

"Well, I hang out with Hermione and Ginny every night, I mean, we share a dorm, so it's inevitable that we become best friends. Harry and I have my father and Uncle Sirius in common, and we hang out every now and then, and I've come to see Harry as a brother," I explained. _Yeah, I came to find Harry as a brother fifteen years ago… As in… when I was born,_ I thought, guiltily. "You not liking me has stopped you from spending time with your friends, and all of us are bothered by it. So I hoped that I could make you see that I'm not the kind of person you think I am. Not to mention, I don't know anything about you other than what Ginny's told me."

He paled visibly. "What ever she said, it was all a lie," He insisted.

"So it's not true that you love the Chudley Cannons, are a great older brother, a sweet guy deep down, a little stubborn, and an amazing Keeper?" I asked.

"Well, yeah," he said, blushing, "I am… hey! I'm not stubborn!" He said, adamantly, when he processed everything I'd said.

"Oh, really?" I asked.

"I am not!" He protested. I gave in a steady stare. "Aw, crap," He muttered. "I was being stubborn right there, huh?" He asked.

"A little," I allowed.

"Well, what do you want to know about Ron Weasley?" He asked. "I'm an open book."

"What was it like growing up with six siblings?" I asked. "I didn't grow up with any," I told him. Key words being grow up with, I thought.

"It was rough. We had only enough money to skate by. Things have gotten better since my Dad's promotion, but the word poor will always remain attached to the Weasley name. We're a close-nit family, though, and we have enough love for extras," He said.

"Harry and Hermione," I clarified.

"And you too, now," he said. When I looked surprised, he continued, "I know you only met my mum for a few minutes on the platform, but she know you're Professor Lupin's daughter, and Ginny's wrote home about you, since you're friends. In Mum's eyes, you're a surrogate daughter, like Hermione."

"Your mum sounds like an amazing woman," I told him, respect in my voice.

"She is, isn't she?" He agreed. "So you can expect a really ugly Weasley sweater for Christmas, and a handmade chocolate egg for Easter. You'll probably get an invitation to the Burrow for this summer, too," He added.

"The Burrow?" I asked, confused. _They live in a hole? He said poor, but really, come on…_

He laughed, probably sensing my train of thought. "It's our old farmhouse," He explained. "It's doesn't look so hot from the outside, it looks a little like how a four year old stacks blocks, a little hanging over here and there. I'll admit, it's no Malfoy Manor, but it's my home, and I think it's nice," he said proudly.

"It sounds incredible to me," I admitted to him. "I have a nice, good sized house, and I have money," I began.

"Sounds good to me," he remarked.

"But, Ron, I have no mother, no brothers or sisters… I grew up alone. All I have is my father, and he's great, he's incredible, but he can't replace those things. You have no idea how good your life sounds to me," I told him.

"I guess I never thought of it like that. So, Professor Lupin's a good father?" He asked, curiously.

"He's the best," I declared without hesitation. "He was teaching me Charms, Defense Against, and Potions when I was, like, nine. I guess it explains why I'm ahead of my class, and a year ahead in Charms, but Astronomy? It was purely my own passion."

"Well, you're blowing me out of the water, little Miss I'm-So-Behind," He mocked.

"I'm never gonna live this down, huh?" I asked. "Everyone will think I have a little girl's crush on you," I groaned.

"Like anyone could think of you as a little girl," He snorted.

"So, are you going to brag to everyone that you got the Professor's daughter to spill her guts to you?" I asked.

"I'm not telling anyone anything. It'll be our dirty little secret," He said with a smile. _Another one of those, huh?_ I thought. "So, now that I've… how did you put it? Oh, yeah. Now that I've 'spilled my guts to you,' do you feel better?" He asked.

"It depends. Do you see me as a friend now? Or am I still just that chick that hangs out with Harry a lot?" I asked.

"Well, yeah, I see you as a friend," he said. "But…"

"But what?" I asked.

"You're a friend that I'm attracted to," He finished, blushing. The red spread to the tips of his ears, and I smiled.

"Oh," I squeaked, surprised. I coughed; unable to believe that sound had come out of me.

"Maybe I should have waited to tell you that," he sighed.

"No, it's not that. I was just surprised. I don't see myself as all that attractive. I mean, my hair is this tangle of curls," I protested.

"It's like a halo of fire around your porcelain face," He corrected.

"Poetic," I approved. "My eyes make me look like an ice queen."

"Icy eyes to balance the fire of your hair," he continued.

"My lips are…"

"Just right," He finished, cutting me off. "Lillith, I haven't been avoiding you because I don't like you," he admitted. "Just the opposite, actually. I like you, so I've been avoiding you."

"How does that make sense?" I asked.

"You're hard on a man's self control, Lillith," He tried to make me understand.

"Really?" I asked in disbelief.

"At least on mine," he said. "I want to get to know you more. I don't want to jump into this like everybody else does. I think we should take our time," he soothed. Sleepily, I leaned against him, and he put his arm around my shoulder. "Relax," he suggested.

"Okay, I think I will," I said, yawning. "I'm feeling a little sleepy…" I drifted off. I was asleep as the words left my lips.

_Midnight… (Harry's POV)_

I began to get concerned when the clock struck midnight and Ron hadn't come back to the dormitory. The others were already asleep, but I had stayed up. I knew Ron was tutoring Lill, even though I knew she didn't need it. I was a bit afraid that Ron had found out and killed her, and was currently out on castle grounds disposing of the body. Okay, I was taking it a little far, but something like that sounded right for Ron's out of character behavior.

I made up my mind to go and see what had happened, and put on my glasses. I fumbled around in the dark until I had my wand in my hand. "_Lumos!_" I whispered, and a shaft of light came from my wand. I crept through the portrait door, and made my way down the corridor to the common room.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight that met my eyes in the common room. "Looks like things are going to be back to normal," I whispered to myself, upon seeing Ron curled up on the couch with Lill, his arm around her protectively. The Astronomy text lay forgotten on the coffee table, and chances were that Ron had found out Lill didn't need it.

I reached for a blanket that lay on the back of one of the chairs, and draped it over the two of them, tucking it around Lill's shoulders. Just as I pulled my hand away, Lill's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at me sleepily.

"Hi, Harry," she whispered, as so not to wake Ron.

"Hi, Lill. Compromising position much?" I asked, grinning.

"All we did was talk, honestly. Maybe flirt a little, but it was only talking," she insisted, hissing since it was hard to insist quietly.

"Don't explain to me, it's none of my business," I said, my grin getting wider now.

"Harry James Potter," she threatened. "Pig," she said, giving up, with a wry smile. She looked up, meeting Harry's eyes, and he gasped. They glittered emerald green in the firelight, and he could have sworn he was looking at his mother. At his sharp intake of breath, she blinked, and her eyes had returned to their normal icy silvery blue.

"Is something wrong, Harry?" She asked, concerned.

"No, just go back to sleep, Lill," I assured. I shook my head to clear it, and made my way down the hallway to the dormitory once again. _It must have been a trick of the firelight…_

_The Next Morning In Potions…_

When I sat down in Potions the next morning, Ginny looked at me expectantly. "So?" She demanded.

"So what?" I asked.

"How did it go with Ron last night?" She practically shouted in frustration

"My lips are zipped. I don't flirt and tell," I said proudly. Just then, Professor Snape exploded through the large dungeon door and all but flew to the front of the room, his long black robes billowing behind him in a cold wind.

"Potion texts out!" He declared. "Turn to page three hundred and seventy two. I want you to read the background and history on this potion. You will notice there is no recipe. That is because this potion is advanced for fifth year. Nevertheless, you are not numbskulls, however much Mr. Creevy tries to prove that to the contrary," he snarled. "When you are done, the directions are on the board." He tapped his wand to the blackboard and prewritten instructions appeared there. "I suggest you get started, this may take all period."

Excitedly, I flipped to the page he had specified, and the breath rushed out of me. "But, sir, this potion is extremely dangerous to brew," I objected without thinking. The white, misty potion on the page was Veritaserum, the truth potion.

"Then I suggest you be very careful so as not to repeat last weeks performance, Miss Lupin, and actually read the directions," He growled. "Despite one half of your DNA, you are not a complete moron, and neither are _most_ of your classmates," He drawled, his eyes resting on Colin Creevy. "Now, if you don't rush ahead of yourself, you foolish girl, I think you can manage!" He raged.

"Sounds like Snarky's got his panties in a twist," I muttered, bringing forth a giggle from Ginny.

"Is there something you felt the need to share with the class, Miss Lupin?" Professor Snape spat angrily.

"No, sir, I said nothing, sir," I lied. I felt like telling him to bite me.

"Miss Lupin, I strongly suggest you give up this foolish game, and share with the class your feelings," he threatened, advancing, until he was at eye level with me, only mere inches away. He smelt of rancid cabbage.

"I didn't say anything, sir," I insisted.

"Very well, then. At the end of the period when the potions are brewed and bottle, we will test it on you," he sneered.

_Aw, shit._

"Well, now I'm screwed," I mused to Ginny, as we chopped, diced, slivered, minced, sliced, and crushed the ingredients for our potion. "If we do it right, I'm going to spill my deepest secrets to Gryffindor and Slytherin. If I purposely mess it up and drink it…" I trailed off.

"Who knows what could happen?" She finished for me.

"Exactly. Not to mention, if I don't die, he'll give me detention."

"I guess we have no choice," Ginny agreed, and we set to making a kick-ass potion so that at least there was no way he could mark us down.

At the end of class after every potion had been bottled and cleaned up, the class sat back expectantly. "Miss Lupin," Professor Snape called, summoning me to the front of the room. "Please stick out your tongue for me," He instructed.

_I'd rather bite it off about now._ Instead, I obediently held out my tongue for him, and he administered two drops of mine and Ginny's potion to me.

"Tell me, what is your name?" Professor Snape asked, to specify I was under the effects of the potion.

"Lillith Lupin," I replied.

"And the name of your father?" He asked.

"Remus Lupin," I stated.

"And have you any siblings?" He asked.

"A brother," I admitted. _That was why he was asking me mundane questions!_ Once a few truths had been coaxed out of me, they just poured out without anyone having to ask. "I have a girl crush on Cho Chang, I think Ron Weasley has got the cutest arse I've ever seen, I think Colin Creevy aught to put himself out of his misery and stop coming to Potions, and my mother is…"

At that moment, my father burst through the door and pointed his wand at me. "_Silencio!_" He cried, and I kept chattering on about who my mother was, who my brother was, and various other secrets, but to the class's disappointment, no sound was coming out anymore. They all groaned in disappointment.

"Professor Snape, are you testing potions on students?" My father demanded, sounding appalled.

"Not students, Professor Lupin, a student, as in one," He clarified, in a condescending tone, as if my father was four. "I thought werewolves had better eyesight than that?"

"I may be a werewolf, Professor, but I'm not daft, so you can stop talking to me in such a manner. Incase you haven't read over your class roster, that student is my daughter, and I don't appreciate you experimenting on her!" He shouted, his face turning red. I stiffened a little. I'd seen my father mad before, but never like this. "Class dismissed," he demanded.

People began to rise, but froze immediately when Professor Snape rose his arm. "Sit down and don't move a muscle," He ordered, and they obeyed, all but two, Ginny Weasley and I. "This is my class, Lupin, and I will dismiss them as I see fit," He snarled.

"Well, this one is my daughter and I'm taking her with me," my father growled. Professor Snape looked about to say something. "I dare you to try and stop me," he warned in a low voice. Professor Snape shut his mouth and my father turned, walking out of the room, me at his heels.

Safely in the hallway, he turned to me, his expression grave. "The spell will wear off in a few minutes," He assured me. "The potion will take longer," He warned. "Until dinner, probably. I'm going to see Dumbledore; you stay here and wait for Ginny. The two of you are to go up to your dormitory and not come out until dinner. Tell her whatever you wish, I trust your judgment," He told me.

I nodded mutely, shaken. "Lillith, that was a very close call, and I might not always make it in time to rescue you. Next time, please do not anger Professor Snape. He might not have known before, but he knows now that the identity of your mother is a deep secret. You must be careful," He warned, stressing the importance of this to me. I nodded emphatically. "I love you," He said, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I love you, too," I mouthed, and he left.

I sat there, waiting, until people poured out of the room. Ginny came, last, carrying my messenger bag. I took it from her, and pointed off in the direction of Gryffindor tower, motioning emphatically for her to follow.

"What are you talking about? We have Transfiguration, Charms, and History of Magic to go to," she said.

I shook my head, and grabbed her arm, dragging her with me. The spell would wear off soon, and I might begin uncontrollably telling my secrets once again. I hoped I could get her to our dormitory before that could happen again.

"Okay, okay, let me go, I'm coming. I'm going to assume your father has us covered in the classes department," she said, rushing to catch up with me. I nodded my head, and guessing that the silencing spell would wear off soon, we both ran all the way to our dormitory, flying by a few teachers in the process.

"Do you realize how much of a miracle it is that McGonagall didn't hit us with a stunning spell when we refused to stop?" She asked, gasping, as we collapsed down on the middle bed, mine.

"Yes," I replied, obediently. I took in a deep breath, and turned to look at her. "I'm going to tell you something. Whatever you do, think before you ask me any questions, and phrase them carefully. The potion won't wear off until about dinnertime. Can you promise not to tell a single soul what I'm about to tell you?" I asked.

"I promise," she swore. "And I'll think about the way I phrase things, too."

"Would you like to know why my mother is such a big secret?" I asked. "Knowing this is a big responsibility," I warned, before she could agree. "You'll be hiding something important from friends and family."

Ginny thought carefully, and silence echoed on our pink walls for long moments. "I want to know," she finally whispered.

"My mother is… was Lily Potter," I told her, and she gasped.

"But…" She paused, thinking hard on how to ask a question, without making me answer it. "Could you tell me how that happened?" she asked.

"Yes, I could," I replied automatically. "And I will," I said of my own free will. "After Harry was born, Lily had postpartum depression, a little known fact. One night, when my father tried to comfort her, they got very drunk, _fire whiskey_ drunk," I stressed. "And I was conceived, two months after Harry was born."

Catching on to a way she could ask questions and sneak around the Veritaserum, Ginny asked another one. "Could you tell me what happened between you father and the Potters?"

"Yes, I could," I answered automatically. "James was a good guy," I explained. "He was upset for weeks, and there was uproar when the three of them realized Lily was pregnant again, but James loved Lily, and my father was like a brother to him, and people make mistakes, so he forgave them in time," I told her.

"Can I ask why… Um, wow, this is awkward. Can I ask why Lily decided to… remain pregnant with you?" Ginny asked, turning an array of red shades.

"Yes, you may," replied. "Lily and James weren't heartless, everybody knows that. Lily wanted an abortion, so that the awkwardness between them would end, but when my father found out that Lily was pregnant, he was overjoyed. He asked Lily to give birth to me, and she agreed, on the conditions that he was to raise me and none but the family know her as my mother." I paused, wiping at my eyes, which were getting teary. "My father told me this stuff early on, said that he thought I was made of tough enough stuff to handle it. He always made sure I knew who my mother was, and that she loved me. But it didn't really matter, because days after she gave birth to me, four months later, almost to the day, she died," I whispered.

"Harry's your brother and you can't even tell him," Ginny murmured. "And now Snape knows you have a secret, and he'll be ruthless in trying to find it out." She sighed, hugging me tight. "Oh, honey, it's alright if you want to cry. If you want to cry, you go ahead," she said, making soothing sounds as I collapsed into tears into her arms.

I must have been hysterical, because I never even heard Hermione come through the portrait door, until she started getting hysterical. "Did Ron make her upset last night?" She cried. "I swear, if he made her cry, I'll make him wish he wasn't a man," she raged.

"No, no. Stay away from Ron's manly bits, this is about her mother. Hermione, her mother died fifteen years ago this month, and Snape tried to humiliate her using our own batch of Veritaserum, and she started talking about all these embarrassing things, including her mother, but before she could go too far, Professor Lupin cut in, and oh, it's a big mess," Ginny declared, giving up on explaining. "All I can tell you is that you can't ask her any direct questions, she might start blurting out secrets again. Her father says it should wear off by dinner time."

"Merlin! Professor Snape was testing an extremely dangerous potion on students!" Hermione shrieked. "I hope Dumbledore rips him to bits! Lill could have been ripped to shreds, for all we know! What if it had been improperly prepared?" I tried to interrupt, but Hermione was so angry, she was turning red. "You could have died! Are you okay?" She asked, leaning down to hug me.

I laughed. "Aside from the hysterics, I am okay, 'Mione," I assured her.

"Well, you know what? Monday morning when I have class with Snape, he is definitely going to get a piece of my mind," she fumed.

"Hermione, no!" Ginny and I cried at the same time. "Lillith needs to keep a very low profile where Snape is concerned. Death Valley-type low," Ginny finished.

"Hermione, I hope you can understand, but I can't tell you why. I have a huge secret that could hurt many people, and Snape is just itching for a reason to expose it. I'm in big trouble if he finds out. I need to disappear off his radar. Which means everyone needs to pretend that today never happened," I said. She looked completely shell shocked. "I'm so sorry, Hermione, but the less people who know, the better, really."

"I understand, and I'll help you anyway I can."

While in one part of the castle, support and alliance was found, in another new mysteries were beginning to unfold, and new players come into the game.

_Dearest Moony,_

_Now that you've moved again, it is getting difficult to keep up this correspondence, my love. I hope you're well, I can feel your distress across the distance, and I hope it's nothing you can't handle. Just know that if you need me, I can be by your side in a matter of seconds. All you have to do is say the word. I hope this has nothing to do with the little cub. I hope she's settling in nicely, as I know you are. The castle was always more of a home to you than anywhere else. I miss you; it's as if a piece of me is gone. Maybe you can visit me in London over the holidays, because the city just isn't the same without you. I'm sorry I have to make this so short, but I have to leave now. They've finally taken a break from their watch, and I must leave while I have the chance. I love you,_

_Yours Always,_

_Nymph._

Remus smiled down at the letter, comforted that he was not alone in his struggles, and sat at his desk, putting pen to parchment.

_My dearest Nymph,_

_The castle doesn't hold the same joy for me that it used to. It is my home, but my bed is cold where you would normally be. The heartache is almost unbearable, but I know you're doing your best and so am I. When this is over one day, I promise we can truly be together. I don't know when that time will come, but you can hold me to it. The little one is doing nicely; she's made friends with the people we've discussed in so many a letter. She has no idea of the danger she's really in, she's right under his hooked, greasy nose, and he's so close to her it scares me. The castle is both the safest and most dangerous place for her to be, but I had no choice. I must protect her. This cryptic writing is getting tiring, though I know it's necessary should anyone intercept these letters. I promise you, my darling. This will be over before you know it, and I will be at your side again. I love you also._

_Yours,_

_Moony._

Remus tied up the scroll and attached it to the unremarkable owl's leg, and as it sailed off into the sky towards London, he dearly hoped he could keep the promises it contained.

End.

So? What did you think. Comments, concerns, ideas. Give me some reviews so I know that you want this story to continue.


	5. I Don't Like Who I Am

Chapter Five: I Don't Like Who I Am…

Just a little after six o' clock, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and I made our way from Gryffindor tower to the Great Hall, after we'd assured ourselves the Veritaserum had worn off. "The last thing I need now is to accidentally tell Harry I'm his sister," I'd whispered to Ginny.

"I still cannot believe Snape was testing potions on Lillith!" Ron growled, his eyes dark.

"I can," Harry said dryly. We all looked at him in shock. "Well, since when has Snape had any morals?" He asked. "He'd smother me in my sleep if he thought he could get away with it."

"So would I, but it doesn't mean I'm a bad person," I said sweetly. Laughing, I dodged the pen he threw at me.

"I can feel the love in this room," Ginny quipped. "It's in the air."

"Like carbon monoxide," I finished, and we gave each other high-fives.

Just then, two giggling fifth years ran up behind Ron, and one pinched him in the butt, before running off, giggling uncontrollably once again. "Alright, that's it!" Ron roared, his face turning red. "Why is the school under the impression that my butt is public property?" He shouted.

Ginny and I looked back and forth nervously. "Um, about that," I began. "I might have said something or other while I was under the effects of Veritaserum. Like about you having a fantastic arse."

"Yeah, something like that," Ginny agreed casually.

"Yeah, along those lines," I said, shrugging it off.

Hermione gawked at us, and let out a high-pitched sound of disbelief, and Harry held his fist over his mouth, desperately trying to hide his laughter, as Ron rounded off on me. "You said _what, _Lill?" He all but shrieked. "Jesus, you are so-" He was cut short when another group of girls ran up and pinched his butt. "Argh!" He shouted. "This had got to stop! Next person who touches my arse gets hexed to next century!" I smiled wickedly. "Don't you dare," he warned.

I pinched his butt.

"_Lillith!_" He shouted.

Ginny, Hermione, and I took off for the Great Hall, Ron in hot pursuit.

_After Dinner…_

"Hey, Weasel!" Someone shouted across the span off the hallway. Ron went rigid and turned to face a familiar platinum-haired snake.

"Malfoy," I ground out quietly. "This is trouble."

"Hear you've got a new nickname, Weasel," Malfoy taunted. "Your girlfriend just can't keep her damn mouth shut, can she? Supposed it's a trait she picked up from her half-breed father," He jibed. My mouth dropped open in appalled shock, and I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.

"Don't you ever talk about Lillith like that again," Ron said, his fury rippling just under the surface. He was a ticking time bomb, a vicious beast that Malfoy was poking with a stick. "You take that back, Malfoy."

"Or what?" He sneered. "You'll make me? You and what army?"

"You might need one to fight for you, Malfoy, but I don't," Ron said sweetly, an underlying threat that was plain for anyone to hear, but Malfoy was too cocky to think twice.

"Right, I forgot. You'll just have Scarhead over there do all the fighting for you. Who needs an army when you have the Boy-Who-Lived," Malfoy spat bitterly. "He can defend you and your blood-traitor sister, your Mudblood know-it-all bitch, and your half-breed girlfriend, you lot of- auh-" Malfoy was cut off and let out a strangled cry when Ron tackled him to the stone floor. In minutes, they were in a tangle, rolling back and forth across the floor getting in various blows when they could.

Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it at the mass of teenage boy, and in a panic, I threw my arm up to stop her, and heard a scream. I looked up in shock and horror, my arm still up, to see both Ron and Malfoy in mid-air, separated.

"Lillith, don't drop your arm," Harry shouted at me. I looked at him, terrified.

"Harry, I don't _know _what I did," I cried, panic all but cutting off my vocal cords.

"Lill, please," Ron begged. I looked up at him, my lip trembling. _If I moved, if I sneezed, if I twitched, I could drop Ron… and he could die._ Terrifying clarity entered my brain at that moment.

"Ron, I can't hold you. I can't…" I screamed. "Harry, get him," I shrieked, as I watched Ron and Malfoy begin to fall. In those instants, it seemed everything slowed, and the moment dragged by.

I was frozen to the spot as I watched Harry dive at the spot where Ron would inevitably fall, and Hermione and Ginny made a break for the spot where Malfoy was bound to fall. I could possibly kill two people, _and I couldn't move._

Then everything sped up again, as Ron fell on top of Harry, and I heard a sickening crack. I watched in horror as Hermione tried to catch Malfoy but couldn't hold his weight, and they both fell on top of Ginny, who let out a muffled shout of agony.

"Oh my God!" I whirled around at the sound of another voice, and standing there was Neville Longbottom. "Lillith, how did you… and you… but how…"

"Neville, wait!" I shouted after him as he turned and started to run. "Neville, you can't tell anyone," I shouted at his retreating form. Seconds later, he disappeared from sight.

"Lillith, what would he tell anyone, we don't know what happened!" Hermione cried. "Not that it matters. Ginny's injured and I think Harry broke his leg; they have to get to the Hospital Wing! Help!" Hermione shouted. "Merlin, would someone help already?" She screamed in impatience.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glint of platinum blond hair, trying to slink away. I whirled around, wand in hand. "Don't even think about it, Malfoy. If you move, I'll make you stick to me like glue," I warned.

He looked down warily at my wand, and then his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Like you need the thing anyway," He said, gloomily, as teachers began to swarm the hall.

"What happened here?" Professor McGonagall demanded, her face drawn in concern. We all looked nervously from one another, and even Malfoy didn't want to pipe up. "Well?" She asked, looked shocked. "Two classmates injured, and you refuse to give up the culprit? Ms. Granger, Ms. Lupin, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Malfoy, to the Headmaster's office," she ordered. Conjuring up two stretchers, she levitated Harry and Ginny on to them. As she walked off with them, we had no choice but to walk up the staircase to the Headmaster's office.

And would you know it? My father was waiting for us.

"What part of low profile did you not understand, Lillith?" My father demanded, once in the safety of Dumbledore's office.

"Professor Lupin," Ron jumped to my defense, "there was no way this was Lillith's fault," he continued gravely.

"Weasley and I got into a fight. And Lupin… well, I don't know what exactly she did, but she threw her arm up to stop Granger from possibly blowing us to bits, and then… we were separated, and levitated in mid-air," Malfoy jumped in.

"This is one impressive bit of tale telling, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore warned seriously. The usual twinkle was gone from his eyes.

"He isn't lying," I said quietly.

"What was that, Ms. Lupin?" Professor Dumbledore asked, gently, looking down at me.

"He isn't lying, sir," I answered, louder this time.

"Well, this changes things considerably," he said, calmly. He pointed his wand at Malfoy. "_Obliviate_!" He said calmly. We all stared at the Headmaster in horror, my father included. "Well, this is of a highly sensitive nature. You are in great danger, Miss Lupin," Dumbledore warned.

"You just erased Malfoy's memory," Ron said, grinning.

"Don't get too excited, Mr. Weasley. I only erased the past three hours." Ron's grin lost its size, but didn't vanish.

"You erased Malfoy's memory," He repeated, still grinning stupidly.

"That I did."

"Headmaster, I would desperately like to know what is wrong with my daughter," my father interrupted.

"Remus, that is not a question easily answered. I do not know what is happening with young Lillith, but is abundantly clear that she has abilities beyond the realm of ordinary magic. Whether this is the only one, only time can tell. For now, I must tell you all; knowing this secret puts you in some measure of danger. Power is power, and Voldemort is desperately seeking power. Harry is no longer the only student at Hogwarts in danger."

"_What?_" I screeched. "I'm in danger from _Voldemort?_" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied simply.

"That's all you can say to me?" I asked. "That's all? Don't you think you owe me a little more than that? I almost killed two students. You'd think that you would understand my need to know what the _hell_ is going on with me!"

My father put his hand on my shoulder in comfort. "Lillith, honey," he murmured.

"No, Dad. I almost killed Ron today. Soothing noises aren't going to get rid of this," I snapped.

"You almost killed Malfoy too," Ron reminded me.

"You have to rub it in that I screwed that up, too?" I asked, irritably. Ron couldn't help but grin again.

"I'm leaving," I declared, standing up.

"No one's stopping you," Dumbledore said, raising his hand. "Feel free."

As we made our way down the stairs and towards Gryffindor tower, tension was buzzing between us, and I could tell that they had as many questions as I did. "I can't answer your questions, you know. I'm just as stumped as you are," I told them.

"We know, Lill," Ron said, putting his arm around me. "No one is demanding anything from you," he promised.

"Take me to your room," I whispered, so no one could hear.

"_What?_" He asked, his eyes wide in shock.

I smiled. "I'm not asking you to sleep with me, Ron, so pop your eyes back in your head," I said with smile. "Just take me to your room. I don't want to think about anything or anyone… except for you right now," I told him. "So take me to your room," I begged. He needed no more encouragement as we slipped down the boys' corridor.

_Ron's Dorm…_

"Everybody out," Ron said once we'd stepped inside the room. Dean and Colin looked up in surprise at seeing me, and stopped all that they were doing, staring stupidly. "I said out, or you can all say hello to detentions," he cried. One by one, they filed out of the room, and I threw myself down on Ron's bed.

"Abusing your prefect powers?" I teased.

"Definitely," he agreed, lying down beside me. Before he could say anything else, I slid up beside him, and pressed my lips against his. In one fluid motion, he slid his arms around me, pulling me tight against him, and I struggled against a need I'd never known I had.

I struggled to get close to him, deepening the kiss, as a sigh escaped me in a rare moment that his lips weren't firmly against mine. I tentatively slid my tongue against his bottom lip, and melted into him when his lips parted and my tongue finally touched his. I struggled with the bottom of his shirt until finally my cool hands slid underneath to meet his warm skin. It was as if every sense of mine was heightened. I could hear our heavy breathing and the crinkle of his pillowcase as we moved against it, and I could feel almost every inch of his body pressed against me, and I could almost smell the adrenaline coming off us in waves. "Ron," I sighed, as his lips left mine for a moment as we squirmed to get comfortable again. I made happy noises when his lips met mine again, and I held tight to him all over again, caught up in the sounds and smells of him…of us.

_Creak._ "Hey, Ron, where are…" A pause. "Oh."

I broke the kiss off immediately, knowing that voice. "Harry!" I cried, pushing myself up on one elbow. I tried my hardest not to look guilty.

"Hey, mate," Ron said; he made no attempt to disguise what we had been doing. I jabbed him in the ribs, and he laughed. "Uh, we weren't doing _anything,_" he said unconvincingly.

"Ron," I admonished. "Could you try and make me sound like a little less of a slut," I begged. _Wonderful. This is the image Harry is going to remember when he finds out I'm his sister. Me in bed, making out with his best friend, _I thought. "I'm not, you know," I added.

"Not what?" Harry asked.

"A slut. I'm really not," I clarified.

"Never said you were."

"Harry, please don't tell anyone about this," I asked. "I don't want people to think of me that way."

"Why would they?" He asked.

"How many girls do you usually find up in the boy dormitories?" I pointed out. He remained silent. "See what I mean? If you don't mind, actually, I'd like to avoid the Walk of Shame," I said.

Harry looked confused. "Uh, how?" He asked.

"Ginny mentioned you have an invisibility cloak…" I said suggestively

Understanding dawned on his and Ron's faces like light bulbs had gone on behind their eyes. "Oh!" He cried, opening his trunk. He pulled out a long cloak, that seemed to be made of liquid silver, and handed it to me. It was cool to the touch, and flowed through my fingers almost like a viscous liquid. "Sure," he said. "Knock yourself out. Hasn't gotten much use this year. Halloween's in about a week, and I haven't slipped it on once."

I drew the cloak around me and looked down as my body vanished. I turned and walked to the door, and turned back around in the doorway. I almost waved to them before I remembered they wouldn't see it. "Bye. I'll see you tomorrow," I called out.

"Bye, Lill," they replied in my general direction.

I crept down the hall, narrowly avoiding smashing into Neville Longbottom, and made my way to the common room, catching bits of conversation here and there, and then made my way up the girls' corridor. I took off the cloak at my door, gave the password to Glenda, and slipped inside.

Before I could say a word, Hermione blurted out, "That's Harry's invisibility cloak," and Ginny followed with and accusatory, "You have make-out hair!"

"Yes, and yes again," I admitted.

"Oh my God. Just tell me it wasn't actually Harry, and I'll be happy," Hermione asked.

"Mione, really. Like Harry would cheat on you," Ginny assured.

Hermione stared at her in shock. "What do you…" she began. She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. "How did you know?" She finally asked.

"You've all but confessed your love for him in the Great Hall. I've known you for four years now, and I've watched you two," Ginny said. "After watching a while, it's obvious. You two care about each other a whole lot."

"Guess everyone knows now, huh?" Hermione asked me, laughing. "We might as well tell Ron, now that he has a girlfriend."

"No one said that we were dating," I insisted. "So don't say anything incase he doesn't feel the same way."

"Fine, we won't say anything," Ginny reluctantly promise. She elbowed Hermione gently. "Right?" She prodded.

"I promise," Hermione swore. "You really like him, huh?" She asked.

"Yes, I like him!" I cried. "We have things in common, and I see him all the time here, and my father actually likes him, my friends like him, and he's a genuinely good guy. I mean, really. Can you find better boyfriend material than that?" I asked, seeking an answer.

"Not unless you're looking for a paradox Latin lover-type," Ginny said with a snort. "It's just hard to imagine that… my _brother_ could be those things to someone."

"Well he is. Though… I don't know about you guys, but it's been a damn long day, and I'm beat, whipped, and broken. I'm ready to crash."

"Definitely," Ginny agreed.

"_Nox,_" I whispered, and the lights went out as we crawled under the covers. "'Night," I whispered in the darkness.

"'Night."  
"Good night."

_Monday Afternoon, Quidditch Pitch…_

"_Augh!_" I let out a sound of anger as I hit a Bludger away from Harry with all my might, and sent it towards center pitch, at a third year from the Gryffindor Reserves. We were playing a scrimmage for auditions. After the last person to try out was hit with a Quaffle by Fred, I was the only one brave enough to try out.

"Merlin, Lill, what are you? The Hulk?" George asked in amazement. From the moment we got up in the air, I knew my place on the team was sealed. George and I had formed and instant connection, instinctively knowing what the other was planning with no verbal communication required. We were occupying ourselves with the Bludgers that Neville, who was in the Reserves, kept sending towards Ginny, Ron, Harry, and I.

_The weekend had been cruelly short, _I couldn't help but think.

"Something along the lines of that. Crap!" I shouted, and bore down on my broom, streaking towards the rings where another Bludger was headed for Ginny. Inches from her head, I whacked the ball hard, and sent it racing towards Colin with a shouted apology as Ginny scored a goal.

"Play t-ball with my head much, Lill?" Ginny asked in aggravation. Just as she was about to rip me a new one, her jaw dropped in shock. "What the hell is that hideous thing in the stands?" She asked, as I sent another Bludger sailing away from us. My eyes followed to where she was pointing. Lavender Brown was shouting, jumping, and cheering in the stands, with a hideous purple Gryffindor banner, and three of her girlfriends were helping her to hold it up.

"Does that airhead realize this isn't a real game?" I asked.

"She doesn't even like Quidditch!" Ginny shouted in frustration.

"Hey!" Ron called sharply from the goal posts. "Gin, you mind if you score us some damn goals?" He asked. "Before Colin beats us!"

I turned just in time to see a Bludger coming towards me, and let out an almost animal yell when I saw Neville smiling stupidly; it was obvious he was the one who had sent it towards me. It was the third one since the game had started an hour ago. I held the beater club with both hands and gripped my broom tightly with my thighs and half of the stands could hear the crack of my bat against the Bludger as a hurled it with all my might at Neville. If he was going to take a third attempt on my life, I was damn well going to take one on his.

"Lill!" Harry cried at me in reprimand. The Bludger missed by a few inches, hitting Neville's broom and sending him into a tailspin. I looked down, guiltily, only to see a crack in the bat that I had undoubtedly made moments ago. I grinned.

"Crap. George, what do you do when these break?" I asked, innocently. Ron snorted, and I glared at him.

George grinned. "Fred, come look at the number Lillith did on your old bat!" He cried. Fred flew up to us from his position near the rings, and pointed his wand at the bat.

"_Reparo!_" He said, and the wood seemed to meld back together. "I broke 'em all the time," Fred explained. "I'm proud to have you as my replacement," he deemed.

"Finally?" Ron asked in relief. "It's been almost two months."

"Hey, I had to find someone perfect," he said defensively. "Would you really want _Neville _playing against Slytherin?" George pointed out.

"Fine, you're right," Ron grumbled.

George brightened up and looked ready to say something. I cut in quickly. "No, George you cannot have that in writing," I insisted.

"Hey!" Ginny interrupted. "It's getting cold out here. Can we touch the ground sometime tonight?" She asked.

"I second that motion," I chirped up immediately.

"I third it!" cried Parvati. "If we don't hit ground soon, it'll start raining, and this tee shirt is white," she warned.

"Alright, Vati, keep your shirt on. I want everybody grounded," Harry commanded. Obediently, we all started flying down, and the competitors that we are, we turned it into a race. For a while there, Harry and I were gleefully deadlocked, but try as I might, my Nimbus 2005 was no match for his Firebolt, and I had to slow down before I lost control.

"Fine, mate, you win," I begrudged to him as I touched the sand of the Quidditch pitch.

"Ha," he said triumphantly. "You should know that while a 2005 edition is good, it still can't beat a Firebolt."

"You win, okay? Isn't that enough?" I cried, playfully.

"No," Ron snorted. "It never is." He smiled down at me and despite how cold it was, heat pooled in my stomach as I felt that now-familiar pull. "Hey, Lill, let me take your broom. I'll put it away for you," he promised.

I smiled up at him weakly. "Sure, Ron. Thanks," I almost purred. His large, warm hand brushed mine as he gently took the broom from my hands and made his way to the Gryffindor broom shed. I thought I would die. "Gin, I'm in love," I declared, collapsing on the bench of the almost deserted locker room.

"With who?" Parvati asked innocently, as we stripped the misty fog-dampened Quidditch robes from our bodies.

"Ron Weasley," I replied, unable to squash the grin on my face. "He is so…. Oh, he is just… Forget it; I just plain am in lust."

"So is Lavender," Vati stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" I screeched. Ginny's head whipped around in an exorcist-like fashion.

"That's why she was at practice today, you know," she continued, in a detached manner. "She's trying to butter him up like he's a crumpet or something. I thought it was kind of funny," she commented, turning to face us. "However, I see you don't."

"Damn straight I don't," I told her. "I have fought for a month to get his attention and a bigger fluffball than her can't ruin it," I declared. "That tart is in deep if she doesn't know it."

"As my mother would put it," Ginny added, " 'she's a damn scarlet woman if I've ever seen one.' "

"Vati, we can't let her get her claws into him," I begged her. She smiled at me.

"I like you more than I like her," she stated simply.

"So you'll help?" I asked.

"Operation Bitch-Be-Gone," Parvati offered.

"I like it," I said.

"It's done."

_Inside the Main Doors…_

"Hey, Lill, I've been waiting for you," Ron said, jogging up to me. "What took you so long?" He asked, curiously.

"Nothing," I assured him. _Just making sure a certain fluff head doesn't have a chance, _I thought. His hand brushed against my waist and for a second time tonight, I felt that pull in my stomach. I chose not to deny it this time. I smiled at him wickedly.

"Lill?" He asked, looking confused.

I grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him into the shadows with me, and pressed my lips firmly to his. He groaned in surprise and delight, and pulled his arms around my middle, pinning me against him. I'd thought I'd had control but that was merely a mirage of the truth. I licked and then finally bit at his bottom lip, and with a sound of surprise, his lips parted, and his tongue sought out mine with no hesitation.

I moaned softly, my hands gripping his shoulders as if there was no floor, and he was keeping me from falling into oblivion. "Ron," I sighed softly, as his hands tangled into my tight spiral curls, and he gently pulled on them. My tongue tangled with his more aggressively as my need for him didn't lessen, as I'd thought it would, but intensified.

"Lillith, please," Ron begged between kisses.

"Please, what?" I asked, sucking and biting on his lip.

"You have me like a madman," he gasped. "Please stop, I can't take it," He whispered, kissing me fiercely.

I broke away gently. "I'm letting you go. So go while I'll still let you," I said. My eyes narrowed and focused on his.

"Lillith, stop looking at me like that. I don't have free will when you do that," he warned.

I swore, breaking my gaze also. I looked at the floor and counted to twenty until I could hear his footsteps no more.

"Lill?" Someone asked just outside of the shadows.

Ginny and Parvati were standing feet away from me, looking gently expectant. "Something is very, very wrong with me," I told them quietly. "And I don't know that to do."

"I do."

_Tuesday Night, in the Library…_

That particular night found Parvati, Ginny, Hermione and I deep in the dark recesses of the Library, surrounded by haphazardly places stacks of books. "Hermione, what are we even looking for?" I asked her.

Hermione grimaced. "I don't exactly know. There are a number of sexual demons or creatures out there, succubus for example, or nymphs, veela…" she trailed off. "And all of them have subtypes, too."

I looked over at a red leather bound book beside me. "What about Sirens?" I asked curiously.

"No, I ruled that one out already. There have only been three know Sirens in the last century and the only way to become a Siren is if one bites you," Hermione explained. "Besides, you don't have red eyes. This would be so much easier if we knew more about your mum."

"All I know is she was filthy stinking rich," I lied. "And I can't ask my Father about her, it only upsets him." That was true, at least. _It would upset me to think about my two best friends dead, too,_ I thought.

"You know, it might have something to do with the fact that you're half werewolf," Ginny suggested.

I cut in quickly, before any theories could form. "Only on a technicality. I have never had a single transformation, never sprouted a claw or patch of fur. Nothing."

"You could be coming in to it," Hermione said, gently.

"Hermione, it's not that I don't want to be a werewolf, it's that I honestly don't think I am in any way but half of my DNA. Besides, I think it's a… what do you muggles call it? A recessive gene, I think."

"Fine, you win this one," Hermione said. "So all we know is that your lust is out of control and you magic is becoming explosive. Example A: you almost shagged Ron in the main entrance by _accident_. Example B: you levitated two sixteen year old boys in midair almost effortlessly" Hermione said. "Your power is getting harder and harder to suppress, and at an alarming rate. But right now, you fit anybody's bill. I hate to say it, but we have to ride it out until more symptoms show up."

"Oh, wonderful. Do you think we can figure it out before I seduce Ron?" I asked, exasperated.

Vati made a face of disgust, and shuddered, and Ginny couldn't help but say, "Ew."

Vati piped up. "If you're a Scandinavian Veela, you won't sleep with him, only eat his flesh," she offered up with a smile.

I half groaned, half laughed. "Thanks, Vati, thanks."

"Yeah, thanks, Vati. Now I have the image of Lillith eating my brother's flesh firmly planted in my head," Ginny added.

"Anything to help," she chirped.

"Well stop helping," Hermione said, looking squeamish.

"I couldn't be a Veela anyway, they have platinum blond hair," I pointed out. "I definitely do not."

"Not Scandinavian Veela. They have different colored hair, though always the extreme. Raven black, ink black, platinum blond, some have been known to have caramel brown hair, but not many, and a very common color is red hair, like yours."

"Great," I said. "Just wonderful. I wonder how Quidditch player flesh tastes?" I snapped. "Can't wait to find out!"

"You know, it could be nothing," Ginny suggested. "Ron _is _a teenage boy."

"No, Gin, I felt it too. He's not just a hormonal boy. It was like I needed the lust like I needed air to breath," I said. "Whatever's going on is more than just raging hormones."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Ginny asked.

"Play keep-away with me," I suggested. "Ron's the ball. Go."

_Just After Dinner, Wednesday Night, Hiding in the Shadows of the Main Entry Hall…_

"Ow, Vati, that was my foot," I hissed, hopping around in pain. Vati, Ginny, and I were crouched down in a corner of the hall behind a statue that provided barely enough shadow for us to hide in. Hermione was busy trying to convince Ron to give up his search for me and go back to the Gryffindor tower with Harry. It was half past eight, and all of us were beat.

"Hermione, where is Lillith? I've barely seen her all week," Ron said. "You can't honestly tell me you don't know where your best friend is."

"I can and I am. I haven't seen her, Ronald. You are embarrassing yourself, carrying on like this. Just go with Harry and go to bed. It's almost nine and you have a damn long day tomorrow, and I have things to do!" Hermione said, her voice almost breaking. It rose in pitch with each argument she made, and she was reaching hysterical.

"We have been hiding here almost a half an hour waiting for him to leave. Ooh, he is such a _pig head,_" Ginny hissed.

"Ginny you are breathing down my neck," Vati whispered, a little too loudly.

Ron's head whipped toward the direction of our hiding place, and Hermione tried her hardest not to look panicked. "Did you hear that, 'Mione?" Ron asked. "It sounded like Parvati."

"Are you kidding, Ron? Vati went up to the common room a half an hour ago, and is probably already in her dormitory with Lavender and Natalie, winding down to go to bed, just like you should be."

_Meow!_

_Saved by the bell,_ I thought, as Mrs. Norris came into view. "Thank God," I whispered as quietly as humanly possible. Vati and Ginny nodded their heads in feverish agreement.

Ron studied the cat in question just long enough to make the four of us wonder if he'd let it slide, and then defeated, broke his gaze. "I guess you're right, it was just Mrs. Norris. You win this time, 'Mione. I'll go to bed," Ron said. He turned and marched off in the direction of Gryffindor tower.

As his footsteps faded into the distance, one by one we crept out from behind the statue and stretched out our bodies, hearing our backs and various other body parts crack back into place.

"Jesus, I thought he'd never leave," Ginny said, exasperated. "Only a stubborn, hard-headed guy like Ron can argue with Hermione for a full half an hour."

"That was not nearly enough space for three curvy teenage girls," Vati declared, obviously miffed. "Next time, we choose a better hiding place!"

"I second that motion," I purred, while stretching out. "I feel like a creaky old lady."

"I feel like a creaky old lady who's been hit by a bus," Ginny complained. "Who's been hit by the Knight Bus," she added.

"Now, hopefully Ron went to his dormitory instead of the common room," Hermione said. She reached into the pocket of her robes and took out her wand and a large piece of blank parchment. She tapped her wand against the parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Hermione, you didn't!" we all whispered in astonishment. I knew that map well, my father had made one with James, Sirius, and Pettigrew, and I had made one of Beauxbatons with my dearest friends there.

"I nicked it out of Harry's room on Saturday night. I had a feel we might need it," she replied. Hermione turned the flaps of the parchment until she'd reach Gryffindor tower, and smiled as we saw a little inkblob that vaguely resembled Ron pacing the length of his dormitory talking with an inkblob that looked remarkably like Harry.

I grinned. "We're safe!" We all sprinted towards the tower.

_The Next Day…_

"Playing keep away isn't working, Hermione," I said the next day after our last classes. "Ron thinks I'm avoiding him, and that isn't true by any means. We need to think of something new."

"I think we should go to the restricted section," Hermione said suddenly.

I looked up at her in shock. "How are we supposed to get in there?" I asked. "If you couldn't tell, the restricted section is, well …restricted," I pointed out, dryly.

"Well, teachers really aught not to let students write their own passes _after _they sign them. Sometimes, the students don't write them at all," She said, holding up a piece of paper with Professor Flitwick's signature on it.

"Hermione, you little devil. I've never seen this side of you before," Parvati exclaimed. "And I like it."

"Hermione can be bad for the right reasons," Ginny said as we strolled down the hall, and into the common room. "I mean- oh my Merlin!" She whispered harshly.

I didn't want to look were she was looking, but I did. And there was Lavender, almost sitting in Ron's lap, her hand on his arm as they leaned in close, talking. "I can't believe this. I cannot believe this," Hermione repeated.

"That little slut," Parvati said, cursing.

I walked right over to the two of them, and when my shadow fell across him, Ron looked up. "Oh, hullo, Lillith," He said, no emotion on his face.

"Ron, _darling,_" I snapped, "can I talk to you?"

"Sure," he said, standing up, looking as if nothing was wrong. "I'll be right back, Lavender."

"Don't count on it, tramp," I snapped at her, and dragged him away. "Ron, what the hell are you doing?" I hissed at him.

"I was just helping her with her Potions homework, she's been struggling," He offered. It probably sounded pathetic to his own ears, too.

"Oh, come off it, Ron," I cried. "Potions is your worst subject! Why would she want you to help her, when Hermione, the brain of the class, and the school, is right across the hall? You can't tell me you honestly believe her?" I asked.

"Thanks, Lillith. Way to take a dig at me."

"You know that wasn't my attention. I just can't believe that after all this… You're sitting there flirting with that total bimbo!"

"Don't talk about her that way, it's not fair," Ron admonished. "I don't understand what you're so pissed off about, it's not like we're dating. We don't have any claim over each other."

That was when I really snapped. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close to me, kissing him soundly on the lips. The madder I got, the deeper the kiss went until I couldn't tell were one of us began and the other ended. Our moans were each other's and in my fierce need to be close to him, I left ripping claw marks in his shirt. _Claws._

And with that scary thought, I broke the kiss, leaving both of us breathless. "Don't have a claim over you my ass," I whispered harshly. His eyes were glazed, and I'm not entirely sure he heard me. Scared, I ran from the common room and straight in to the arms of my best girlfriends. And all of us looked down in silent shock, at the long, blood red talons sprouted from my fingertips.

_Inside the Restricted Section…_

"So we have it narrowed down to two very scary possibilities," Hermione said dejectedly. "You're either a Scandinavian Veela and want to eat his flesh, or you're a succubus and want to steal his soul or his libido through sexual intercourse."

"There has to be another option. There just… I can't be. Hermione, we can't give up!" I begged her, grabbing the front of her robes desperately, and shaking her. "There has to be a way to stop me!" I shouted.

Ginny and Parvati looked scared, but Hermione looked at me calmly. "Lillith, calm down, and let me down. There is an option," She said slowly, when I'd set her down.

I raked my hands through my hair nervously. "Anything. I'll do anything!" I said quickly.

"It's dangerous," She warned. "It's a very dangerous Potion. It will take away your libido, any sexual urges. You won't be attracted to Ron anymore," She warned. "You won't be attracted to anyone anymore," she added.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, to try to rid myself of the sudden pain in my chest. "I'll do it," I said simply. "What do we need?"

"Your blood…Oh, Merlin. This is where it gets disgusting. We need the blood of a male, and it needs to be taken from him while Lillith is getting him… excited. We also need a drop of Veritaserum, we need cyanide, monkswood, rose petals, and strangely enough… we need sugar."

"Hermione, we can't," Ginny protested.

"This could kill you, Lillith," Vati exclaimed.

"Well, we better hope it doesn't, then, huh?" I asked.

As the days went by, Hermione stole Veritaserum from Snape's stores, and I stole cyanide. We gathered the other ingredients in our spare time, and all was left was the blood of a sexually excited male, the Potion near maturing.

"I can't believe I have to go and do this," I complained to Ginny, about to climb through the portrait hole.

"Lillith, wait!" Someone called over the conversation in the common room. I looked up and steeled myself as I saw Ron making his way through the crowd.

"Ron, I really can't talk right now, I have assignments that Ginny and I need to go complete," I lied.

"But, Lill, we haven't talked in days, and I think we should. I never see you anymore, you can't keep blowing me off like this," He said.

"Ron, I've been really busy," I said. Ginny tapped her foot impatiently and looked towards the clock. It was nine 'o clock and curfew was nine forty-five. _I know, Gin, _I thought. "And I really have to go, the library closes in a half an hour," I said, turning to go when he grabbed my arm.

"Lillith, tell me where you're really going," he demanded. "I know you're not spending twenty hours a week in the library, that's pure bullshit."

"Ron, why the hell do you care so much, anyways?" I asked, my voice rising. "You said a few days ago that we have no claim over each other. So for all it matters I could be running off every night to make out with Slytherins and it shouldn't bother you." I'd chosen that situation specifically to get the biggest rise out of him I could, and it worked. He was rapidly turning red, and I couldn't help but feel satisfied.

"You what?" He yelled. The conversation in the room halted, and I should have been embarrassed, but I was completely blinded to everything but Ron. The blood rushed in my ears and my anger all but radiated from me, mingling in the air with Ron's.

"Well, if you have free rein to flirt with that incorrigible wicked witch, then why do you care what I do?" I asked loudly. "That's completely hypocritical of you! I don't have any rights to you, but you have them to me?"

"That's not what I'm saying Lillith!"

"Then what are you saying, because I have better things to do that sit here and argue with you, and I bet you'd rather be off in some dark corner with her!" I shrieked, and stormed out of the tower, slamming the portrait frame behind me.

"Lillith, are you still sure you want to do this?" Ginny asked me tentatively as we strode down the hall.

"More than ever. I solemnly swear I am up to no good," I declared, taking out the Marauder's Map. I handed it to Ginny. "The first guy coming towards us you find," I told her. "Before I lose my nerve." I looked down at the long red nails that I'd recently found myself with, and groaned. "I clipped them this morning, and they're already growing again!"

"Found one! Oh, Merlin," she said. "You won't like this, Lill."

"Who cares, it's not like he'll remember it," I said absently, and almost choked on my words when Draco Malfoy came into view. "Fuck," I whispered.

"My views exactly," Ginny added, as Malfoy's face brightened.

"Look at that, the weasel and the half breed mutt," Malfoy drawled, one eyebrow cocked.

"Now or never," I muttered. Looking up, I flashed him a dazzling smile. "Draco," I purred, slinking towards him, my arm sliding around his waist.

He looked down at me, as he was over a foot taller than me. "What are you playing at, Lupin?" He asked coolly.

"Nothing, but I'd like to be playing," I hinted. Ginny grinned at me in disbelief. She had a look on her face that clearly showed she was shocked he hadn't flicked me off of him and left me crumpled on the floor. I was still waiting for him to do exactly that, myself.

"It that right, Lupin? You want to play with the big boys now?" He asked me, a smirk forming on his face.

"Oh, yes," I said, breathlessly, and smiled as he pulled me against him. I stood up on tiptoe and let my breath play across his neck and ear and licked and nipped at his ear, until I hear his groan and felt the tightness in the front of his trousers.

I looked over his shoulder at Ginny and gave her a barely perceptible nod as Malfoy's hand grabbed my ass. She took the syringe and jammed it into his neck as I kneed him between the legs. "That's for taking liberties with a lady," I snapped.

Ginny pulled up the depressor as the syringe filled with his blood, and Malfoy crumpled on the floor. I shivered in disgust, and pointed my wand at Malfoy. "_Obliviate!" _I cried. "Oh, God, Ginny, that was disgusting. I feel diseased," I said.

We froze as we heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Ginny looked at me in panic. "Run!" She whispered. I did.

_The Great Hall, The Next Day…_

The atmosphere at the Gryffindor table was tense at lunch that day, more than ever between Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and I. Everyone had witnessed my blowout with Ron the other night, and everyone was walking on eggshells. Everyone but Lavender Brown, who was chattering away obliviously, while I on the other hand felt like crying into my chicken salad.

And then, to top it all off, Lavender bounced right up to Ron, who was sitting right next to _me_.

"Hi, Ron," she said in a voice that rivaled maple syrup in its sweetness. I bit my tongue while she chattered away enthusiastically with him, and my breathing became labored as the jealousy rose within me.

"So, Ron, Hogsmeade is coming up next weekend, and I was wondering if you were going with anyone, because…"

"Ron," I said suddenly, looking up with a big smile. "Can I talk to you in the hallway, about… Quidditch," I forced out. Before he could reply, I grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the Great Hall.

"Lillith, what are you doing?" He asked, incredulously.

"I'm keeping you from catching a disease," I snapped. "Ron, can you honestly tell me you want her?" I asked him. "Because if you do…"

I was interrupted as Lavender banged through the double doors of the Great Hall. "I was talking to him, you know!" She shrieked.

"Yeah?" I asked. "Well now I'm talking to him, so shove off, you tart!"

"Why, how dare you!" She said, in a pitch that could almost make windows break. "Ron, come on, let's get away from this lunatic."

"He's not going anywhere until I finish talking to him, so _step off,_" I warned.

She walked toward us purposefully, and grabbed his arm…

_Same Day, Same Time…_

I knew that Lavender was in trouble the second that Ginny, Harry, Parvati, and I watched Lillith pull Ron out of the Great Hall.

"Why that…" Lavender muttered, and ran out into the hallway.

"Hermione, go after them, before they kill each other," Harry begged me.

Ginny, Parvati and I jumped off the bench and sprinted towards the open double doors, but I was too late, Lavender had grabbed Ron's arm, and Lillith went berserk.

"Augh!" Lillith shouted, shoving Lavender to the floor hard. "Keep your damn hands off of him!" She screamed, and her eyes flashed red in the light streaming through the hallway's large windows. The two of them rolled around on the floor, clawing, biting, scratching and hitting, screaming in almost inhuman fury the entire time.

"Merlin, her eyes!" Ginny cried, and I looked at Lillith, and the breath was stolen from me when I realized the light had nothing to do with it. Her eyes were a scarlet red.

"Shit," I cursed. "Vati, Ginny, help me break this up," I shouted, running right into the fray. As I suspected, Lillith didn't distinguish between the threat Lavender posed, and me, and swung at me, narrowly missing my throat.

"She's going to kill all of us," Vati shouted, as she struggled in vain to hold Lillith back.

"She's a siren!" I yelled exasperated.

"Oh, well that helps us a lot!" Ginny cried. "So after she kills us, she'll take us back to her nest!"

"Very funny, Ginny," I said. "What I meant was, get Ron in the Great Hall and shut the doors!"

"Cut off her sexual drive, and we short circuit her?" Vati asked.

"Exactly." It was all a blur as Ginny and I tried to hold back Lillith from Lavender, who was still kicking and screaming, trying to fight back, but everything went still and silent when the doors to the Great Hall slammed shut.

Lillith slumped down in mine and Ginny's arms, unconscious, and Lavender looked at us murderously. "That psycho tried to kill me, and you're worried about her?" She asked.

"Oh, sack it already, Lavender. You were the one stupid enough to not just walk into, but run into and try to claim a siren's territory. You're lucky you're still alive, because you obviously were asleep that day in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ginny snapped.

I held Lillith in my arms carefully. "Ginny… I didn't think this out very well," I admitted, my eyes downcast.

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking up, her eyebrows almost knit together in concern. "What is that supposed to mean, Hermione?" Ginny demanded.

"It means I wasn't exactly sure what taking Ron away would do to her, and if we had given her that potion tonight, it would have killed her. You see, her sexual drive is her life force…"


	6. Sinners, Saints, and Secrets

Chapter Six: Sinners, Saints, and Secrets

_Ron_

"What were you thinking, Hermione?" I shouted at her as I watched Lillith get carried off by Snape to the hospital wing. "You think you're so damn smart that you can fix any thing, well guess what? You didn't! Thanks to your know-it-all attitude, you might have killed my girlfriend!"

"Ron!" Lavender wailed at the sound of the word girlfriend.

"Shut up, Lavender!" I shouted. "Shut up, shut up, all of you just shut up! Merlin's beard, are you so self involved, you great tart, that the fact that a classmate is dying because you can't keep your slimy paws off of someone you can't have doesn't even faze you?"

"Ron, you're being a little harsh," Parvati warned.

"I don't care! I'm angry! My girlfriend is being carted off to the hospital wing by Snape nonetheless, and you know who has to go and tell her father?" I asked. "Not you, Ginny, not you, Hermione, not you, Vati, not you, Harry, but me!" I roared. "I have to go and tell him that I as good as killed his only child because I'm so self centered that I couldn't see what was happening right in front of my own face, so if it's quite alright with you lot, I'll be as mean as I want!"

"Ron," Harry said quietly, putting his hand on his shoulder. "I'll go with you."

I jerked my shoulder out from under his touch. "This is my burden to deal with," I spat, and left when all in shocked silence.

My sense of dread turned to full-fledged panic as I stood before the door leading into his office. The pit in my stomach grew, and it didn't matter that I'd eaten half the Gryffindors' food at lunch today, I felt like my stomach had been hollowed out. I raised my hand to the door, but before I could knock it fell to my side, uncertain. I raised my hand again, but before I got the chance to see if I could make myself do it, the door flew open and I was face-to-face with Remus.

"Ron, how nice to see you," He said cheerfully. "I was just going to pop into the Great Hall and see if Lillith wanted to go to Hogsmeade to have…" Lupin's smile faded as did his sentence, and was replaced by a blank, unreadable expression. "What happened?" He asked, and I could see him mentally preparing for the worst.

"Lillith is dying."

_Hermione_

_In the Hospital Wing…_

"Damnit, Harry, Ron was right!" I said, while pacing the length of the hospital wing as Snape hovered over Lillith's bedside with Dumbledore and McGonagall, all of them with worried expressions on their faces as Madame Pomfrey worked away furiously. "I knew what taking Ron out of the equation would do to Lillith, or should have known, somewhere in my mind, and I didn't think twice and did it! I as good as killed her!" I shrieked.

"Hermione, you saved Lavender," He pointed out to me.

"Oh, who cares?" I cried, hysterically. "Who the hell would have missed her anyways? Her parents?" I asked

"Hermione, listen to yourself," Ginny said. "Do you have any idea how irrational you sound?"

"Really, Hermione. You can't put all of the weight on yourself. You had split seconds to decide what to do. You didn't have time to think it out, or rationalize it. All you had time to do was figure out how to keep our best friend from becoming a murder," Vati said. "Do you really think she'd hate you?"

"No," I said, my eyes filling with tears, "but she should! She should, damnit! I always think I know everything, Ron's right about that. He is also right that I don't always know. I don't have all the answers but I pretend I do and people trust me and I screwed up!"

Just then, the teachers pulled the curtains closed around Lillith's bed and walked towards us. Concern plastered itself across every face but Snape's. "We've done all we can for her, but I'm afraid that it wasn't enough. Lillith is in a coma and that's all I can say at this time," Madame Pomfrey declared.

Just then, the doors to the hospital wing opened behind us, and no one had to turn around to know who was standing behind us. "Remus, I'm so sorry," Professor Dumbledore said gravely. "If you'll come with us into Poppy's office we can fill you in."

"That won't be necessary, Albus. The children have every right to know," He said softly.

"Lillith's estrogen levels are almost gone, and her magic levels are too weak to support a simple levitation charm. She is currently in a coma. Remus, dear friend, I'm sorry, but Lillith is dying. I doubt she will wake before she goes."

"Albus, tell me how bad it will be. Don't try and protect me again," Remus said quietly.

_Again?_ I wondered, silently. _When had Dumbledore protected Lupin before? From what?_ Before I could guess, Dumbledore spoke, his voice laced with unchecked sorrow. "It's going to be slow. It will painful to watch, for anyone. Your heart is going to break more than once before she goes. Lastly, it will be painful for Lillith. This will be no ordinary death. Her body will give out when her estrogen and magic can no longer support her systems. If you think it's going to be too much now, then I strongly suggest you not visit Lillith… it will be more than painful."

Not a single one of us looked ready to leave.

_Ron_

_The Hospital Wing, Mid-December…_

"Damnit, Harry, she looks like she's already dead," I said, and then kicked the chair at the side of Lillith's bed. It fell on the hospital wing floor with a loud crash. I swore, turning to face my best friend of six years. "She didn't deserve this! I was the one being a prat, and she got punished!" I shouted.

Harry looked at me, and his normally bright eyes were so dark, they might as well have been obsidian rocks in his head. He looked down at Lillith, lying helplessly on the starched bright white sheets of the hospital bed, the color almost matching her own complexion, making her hair look like the color of a Crayola crayon. Her lips were a sickly looking red, and without her clipping her talons down, they were a good inch or so long. Every now and then in the silence, I could hear her draw in a sharp, labored breath, and her scrawny chest shook with the effort it took. Her pulse slowed with each day, her breathing became more labored, and her weight dropped. It was frightening, and it had not just Harry and I shook up, but Gryffindor House, and all of her classmates from the other houses. Slytherin, as always, seemed untouched by the entire situation.

Harry absently trailed his fingers along her arm. She looked like a china doll, so fragile. Harry jerked his hand away rapidly, as if he was afraid the slightest touch might break her. I couldn't blame him for thinking so.

"Lillith is the last person on earth who deserves this," He said softly. "Dumbledore was wrong when he tried to warn us. Watching her die isn't hard, it's impossible. I'm sorry if I sound selfish, but I don't think I can visit her anymore, Ron."

"I understand. I won't hate you if you go now, Harry," I said. He turned abruptly and left. I looked down at Lillith, and held her hand gently, loosely, afraid of hurting her. "I'm so sorry, Lillith," I whispered. "It seems like the both of us have been screwing up since we met each other, and I don't know how to make up for it. God, if you would just wake up, I'd give everything. Please, don't let go, Lillith." I brushed a kiss against her forehead, and leaned my head against the edge of her bed, weary. For the first time in weeks, when the darkness came, I didn't fight it.

It seemed like only moments later when I felt someone shaking me roughly. "Ron, wake up," they said. The voice seemed so far away, and my mind was thick with sleep. I struggled to float to the surface, and answer, but it was as if my mouth was firmly glued shut. "Ron, it's curfew time," she said.

I raised my head, confused. Curfew time? "Huh?" I asked. I struggled to lift my head, and a blurry female image with red hair met my eyes. _Ginny._ "Gin, go back to your room. I'm fine," I argued stubbornly.

"Liar. It's the first time you've slept more than an hour in a row in weeks. You're not eating. Harry told me that you refuse even to audition for a new beater, and that you almost broke your broom the other day. Ron, it's all right to not be all right. None of us are handling this well," Ginny told me, a hand on my shoulder.

"None of you were falling in love with her. So many things about her I'll never know; so many secrets she never let me know, all of my chances for stolen moments, stolen. I only had two damn months with her, Ginny. Two months worth of conversations, smiles, laughs, for what should have been years! It isn't fair at all! And Harry… Merlin! Lillith was practically his sister. He was so close to having the family he always wanted, and now it's been ripped from him. She was fitting in here, starting to become a vital part of our... I don't know... group. Now that's all going to be gone soon. Maybe days." Ginny just grinned. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I yelled at her. "She's dying, and you're smiling!" Ginny's grin just got bigger.

Then she said four magic, beautiful words, _"We have a plan."_

_Hermione_

_Same Night, Common Room…_

"What's the plan?" Ron asked me immediately on walking through the portrait hole.

"Lillith is a siren, therefore she feeds on lust," I began. Ron looked at me impatiently.

"Harry, tell your girlfriend that I'm not daft and she needs to get to the point," Ron snapped.

"Thanks, Ron, we love you too," Parvati said in my defense. "But it's a brilliant plan, really. It's complicated, though, and we have to move fast before Lillith dies, so… we already started by, and Merlin forgive us, stealing a lot of potions equipment from Snape, and then obliviating his memory. It won't hold for long, I'm not exactly brilliant at memory charms, so we have to move fast and get her awake before he remembers."

"What's the damn plan?" Ron shouted.

"A mass produced lust potion, in everyone's food. If it doesn't wake Lillith up, I don't know what will."

"I like it."

"What you need to know is that you're going to be completely blindsided by lust. The only one who will be clearheaded will be Ron, because Lillith marked him. We also need to keep Madame Pomfrey clearheaded somehow. The thing is, you're going to latch onto the first person you can get your hands on and you'll probably have sex with them. You need to be okay with that," Ginny warned.

"Anything to wake her up," Harry, Parvati, and I said without hesitation.

"Good. Now, the potion ingredients are simple, but the potion itself is complicated. We need Lillith's blood, Ron's blood, and pure vanilla. It needs to be stirred round the clock, and a female hand can never touch it. So we have to call in lots of extra manpower. Any suggestions on who to pick?" Ginny asked.

"Draco Malfoy," I said on impulse.

"Are you snorting cocaine?" Ron screeched. "What in bleeding hell made you suggest Malfoy?"

"One, he's a potions expert. Two, he's a Death Eater," I said.

"He's a what?" Harry cried. "He can't be; he's still sixteen! And why would that be a reason to use him?"

"Well, I've seen his mark before, so however it happened, he is a Death Eater. We saved his life that night in the hall, when we caught him, so he owes us a debt, and will want to be rid of it a soon as possible. Since he's a Death Eater, that also means who better to help us pull off a dangerous, highly illegal and manipulative plan that him. And… Voldemort wants Lillith. He doesn't want her dead."

"Merlin," Parvati hissed.

"She's right," Ginny said, defeated. "She's fucking right, now matter how much I don't like it."

"Who else?" Harry asked.

"Dean Thomas, Colin Creevy, and Blaise Zabini just for good measure," I added. "We need Harry to talk to Dobby so that the potion ends up in the food that night; Vati, I need you to work amplifying charms on the batch for the teachers, because I know they'll try and fight it. Ginny and I will spend the day casting privacy charms on every dorm room, bed, couch, chair, cupboard, dark corner, empty class room… basically anywhere you could have sex. Also, Vati… you need to be the one to approach Malfoy and Zabini."

"I'll do it," she agreed, readily.

"We're going to get her back, you guys. It might not be easy, but it we can do it. I promise."

_Parvati_

_Saturday, Next day, the Great Hall…_

Grinning viciously, I broke off a piece of my dinner roll, and checking to make sure no on was watching, I hucked it at the back of Malfoy's head. Ginny giggled hysterically as Malfoy's head whipped around in an exorcist-like fashion, searching for the culprit. Realizing that Ron, Hermione, and Harry were absent, and not being able to think of anyone else, he turned back around.

"Parvati, you are wicked," Ginny accused.

"Wickedly brilliant, you mean."

"We want him to help us, not murder us," she hissed.

"He certainly won't help us if we approach him in front of all of his cool Slyth housemates," I said, and hucked another chunk of the roll at Malfoy's head.

I almost swallowed my tongue when he turned slowly and his eyes zeroed in on me. "Oi! Patil, you got an issue you need to discuss with me?" he snapped.

"Only that your abnormally large head seems to keep getting in the way of my dinner roll," I said coolly. As his face turned red, his mercury eyes locked on to my honey ones. "_We need to talk,"_ I mentally willed him to hear, as I stared so hard at him it started to give me a headache.

"_You're good, Patil," _he replied, a whisper in my mind, surprised humor lacing his voice. He turned away, no longer looking into my eyes. "_But I'm better. I don't need eye contact. Leave. I will meet you in a moment."_

Abruptly, I stood from the table, and Ginny looked at me with eyes filled with questions. Avoiding her gaze, I all but ran out of the Great Hall. The silence in the hallway had just about strangled me when Malfoy strode out the doors, his robes billowing behind his fast moving six foot two frame, his yellowish white blonde hair whipping behind him.

"You did a very stupid thing in there, Patil. Half of Slytherin could have easily intercepted that message. It's just like a Gryffindor to think she was the only one who had mastered telepathic communications," he snapped.

"Yeah, well if you didn't notice, Malfoy, I haven't exactly mastered it yet, you don't even need eye contact," I snapped back.

"Patil, that is not the point and you know it," he growled. "You almost got both of us killed in there because you wanted to show off to me."

"Oh, yeah, that's exactly it, Malfoy. I just wanted to impress you so much that I thought, hey, what better was to get Malfoy off than to get myself killed?" I quipped.

"That sounds about right to me," he said, glaring at me.

"Do you want to be rid of you debt, boy, or not?" I finally yelled.

"What the hell do you want me to do?"

"We need you help with a mass produced lust potion," I stated plainly.

"Oh, hell no. Anything but help wake up that half breed siren," he said, shaking his head.

"You owe us a debt. We saved your ass from cracking your head of that damn stone floor. I want you to help wake Lillith up, so you are goddamn going to do it, okay?" I screeched, grabbing the front of his robes and shaking him. "Do you understand?" I shouted, my eyes blazing.

"Let me down right now, Patil," he whispered, dangerous tone in his voice. I looked down, and realized I was holding him off of his feet, and shocked, I dropped him. "Do you realize I'm almost twice your weight and you just lifted me off of the ground?"

"Naw, the thought slipped my mind," I snapped. "Anger can give you power you never imagined possessing. I'm very angry, Malfoy, so why don't you stop trying to piss me off?" I asked.

"Jesus, you guys are freaks. Is one of you normal?" He asked.

"You don't know the half of it," I said, my eyes narrowing. "You fuck with us, Malfoy, and we'll fuck you up," I promised. "You don't get it, it's not a matter of waking Lillith up; it's a matter of keeping her from death. If she dies because you fuck up, I will take out a blood debt on you. That is if there's anything left of you after Professor Lupin and Ron are done with you."

He just glared at me. "Let me make this simple, Malfoy. _If you let Lillith die, I will kill you,_" I growled.

"Is that a threat, Patil?" He asked.

"Not at all, Malfoy. It's a heartfelt promise," I snapped.

"You've got balls, Patil. You have a deal. As sworn by wizards before us, I promise you a debt, which I shall hereby fulfill in creating a flawless lust potion in order to wake the siren, Lillith Medea Lupin."

"When I deem such a task completed, the debt will be fulfilled, and I will release you from your obligation at such a time," I said, repeating the words older than my time, as were expected of me to seal the debt.

"Well, Patil, lets get cracking."

_Ron_

_Sunday Night, Common Room…_

"So we now have Malfoy, Colin, and Dean on board, and Hermione, you've taught them how to brew the potion already, right?" I asked, while the whole group of us sat in the common room, planning. "If everything goes according to schedule, when should the potion be complete?"

Hermione paused, looking up towards the ceiling as she always did when thinking something out. "Five days. We still need to get Zabini on our side. What happened, Parvati?" Hermione asked.

"He won't talk to me," she answered, shaking her head. "I couldn't even pitch the idea to him, and we don't have a debt to hold against him like we did with Malfoy."

Ginny snapped to attention suddenly. "I'll do it," she offered. "Blaise is in the same tutoring program I am, so he'll talk to me," she explained.

"Okay, so we have that covered. Harry, have you talked to Dobby?" I asked.

Harry grinned, nodding. "He's more than happy to help. I explained to him that none of the female house elves could touch the potion. However, it took a lot more convincing, and three pairs of new socks to get him to spike the teachers' food, too," he said, and we all laughed.

"What a nut bag," I muttered. "Okay, so we have all those bases covered, except Blaise Zabini. The ball's in your court now, Gin. Make us proud."

_Ginny_

_Tuesday Night, the Room of Requirement…_

"Were you waiting long?" I asked, as I slipped inside the door. I looked towards the couch, and was surprised to see his unruly black hair worse than usual, and his bright green eyes were heavy with loss of sleep.

"Not that long," the boy promised, coming to me. "I had trouble giving them the slip tonight. Did Ron and Hermione give you trouble getting away tonight?" he asked, reaching out to hold me against him.

"No," I sighed in contentment. "Ron has no idea; he thinks I'm in the library studying. Hermione didn't give me trouble either, but I think she suspects something is going on between us."

"Yeah, it was a close call after the last quidditch match. Playing with you, being wound up that way, and not being able to tell anyone… I couldn't help it. Then Hermione ran in to congratulate you… It's a good thing I had my invisibility cloak with me," he said, laughing at the memory of that night.

"Tell me about it. I always had this fantasy about making out with the quidditch captain after a good game," I said wistfully. "We can't tell her, thought. It would destroy my friendship with her, if she knew I was with you."

"I know, but maybe one day she'll understand," he suggested.

"I don't know. Just… make me forget about all of this?" I asked.

He nodded, and leading me to the couch, he touched his lips to mine. The second our lips touched, I came alive. I settled on the couch, his weight pressing against me exquisitely, as his tongue searched my mouth teasingly. I threaded my fingers through his dark hair, sighing as he kissed me soundly. I clung to him, as his lips found my neck, drawing deep breaths and moans from me.

"Ginny," he whispered, before kissing me again. I felt his hands go to my jeans again, and this time I didn't resist.

"Just tell me that there's no one but me. Tell me you love me more than her," I begged. "I need to know this isn't a mistake."

"I promise you. I love you, Ginevra. I never loved her. There was only ever you," he promised as he lowered my jeans, and I kicked my sandals to the floor.

I gasped as he took off my lacy knickers, and kissed my neck. I sighed and moaned, delirious with pleasure, and was shocked to realize we were both naked. _When has he removed his clothes? _I wondered, absently. I slid a hand across his muscle-toned body. "You're beautiful," I whispered.

"Nothing compared to you. Are you ready for me, Gin?" He asked, his fingers teasing me, making my stomach clench with pleasure so intense, I was shocked he could this with only his fingers. I gasped as his fingers plunged inside my wetness. "Are you ready?"

"I've always been ready for you," I whispered, and cried out as he slid inside of me.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked, concerned.

I looked up into his emerald eyes, seeing concern written across the beautiful face I had loved since I was eleven, and first saw him. "Only for a minute. But now…" I sighed as he shifted. "I feel only pleasure. Don't stop," I whispered, and he didn't.

It was awkward for moments until we settled into a rhythm, and I was lost in him. My hands circled around his neck, as his hands explored my body in awe, for the first time. "You're so beautiful, Ginny, so damn beautiful. It was worth waiting for you. Everything was worth this, I promise," he panted. "Oh, Gin!" he moaned.

"I love you," I whispered. "God, I love you," I repeated, clinging to him.

One hand of his tangled in my hair, as the other gripped my hip. "I'm so glad I'm your first. I'm sorry I couldn't give the same to you, but I promise to make this something you'll never forget," he whispered.

"None of that matters. All that matters is that I'm with you," I promised, and cried out as he buried himself in me again. Nothing else existed except our bodies, finally together after months of waiting, and I could barely hear myself calling his name as we peaked together.

Breathing heavily and sweating, I clung to him. "I love you, Ginevra."

"I love you, too, Blaise," I whispered. "Merry Christmas," I said, and Blaise chuckled, making me grin. I snuggled my head against his chest, and sighed as the glow wore off enough for me to start having doubts. "Blaise?" I asked.

"I already know what you're thinking, Gin," he said softly. "I was scared before, but I'm not anymore. I ended things with Winter Montague last night. I don't care what my father thinks anymore, I'm tired of pretending to love Winter. I couldn't stand myself if I let everyone believe I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. I couldn't stand myself if I kept breaking your heart."

"Blaise, you haven't," I tried to explain.

He held a finger to my lips. "Yes, I have. I know how much it hurt for you to share me, but that's over now, I promise. You've always had my heart, but now I can give you all of me. I'm so sorry that I ever hurt you."

"I forgive you," I whispered, holding him. "But I have to ask something of you. I need your help with something…"

"I know. Draco told me. Ginny, this is dangerous. I'll be lying to my father, and the Dark Lord. I could die. Lillith could die anyway, if he gets hold of her. Do you really want to risk this?" He asked, looking down at me seriously.

"I have to, Blaise, I'm sorry. She's my best friend, and my brother loves her, whether or not he knows it yet. What would you do if it was me?" I asked.

"I'd do anything," he admitted.

"I'll understand if you can't help. I'll just find someone else. I'm going to do this with your help or without it. It makes no difference to me, I'm sorry," I told him. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't."

He closed his eyes for a moment, almost as if he was in pain, and then looked at me again. "I'll help you."

_Parvati_

_Same Night, Common Room…_

"Do you wonder why Ginny spends so much time in the library?" I asked Hermione, as the portrait swung shut behind the red head in question.

"Sometimes. But… and do you promise not to tell Harry or Ron this?" Hermione asked first. I nodded quickly. "Last time she said she was going to the library, I went to find her, and she wasn't there. Another time I was on my way to find her, and I saw her coming out of the Room of Requirement," she continued.

"She's sneaking around with someone, you mean?" I asked, shocked. _Why would Ginny hide something like this from me? _I wondered.

"I think so," Hermione replied reluctantly, her tone indicating she knew more.

"What is it?" I asked dreadfully.

"I think I know who she's sneaking around with, and it would definitely explain the sneaking part. I wouldn't want to be seen with him, either," she quipped.

"Come on, Hermione, spill. Who do you think it is?" I shrieked.

"He's a Slytherin," she began.

"Bullshit," I insisted. "Ginny wouldn't be caught dead with a Slytherin."

"At the last quidditch match against Slytherin, she was making out with someone in there just before I walked in. The rest of the Gryffindors had left already," she said. "And I found a pair of Slytherin school robes in her bag one day, and they were a boy's."

"Oh my Merlin!" I cried. "This is scandalous. Which Slytherin do you think it is?"

"Blaise Zabini," she deadpanned.

"You mean the Slytherin that's basically a taller, more muscular, asshole version of Harry?" I asked.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Uh, yeah… that's the one," she admitted. "God, Vati, I love you. You sure as hell lighten things up."

"Are you sure about this though?" I asked. "I wouldn't want to talk to Ginny about this with the wrong idea in my head. She'd be bloody pissed if I accused her of dating Blaise Zabini if it really turns out she's dating Seamus Finnegan," I pointed out.

"I'm almost positive. It's either Zabini or Malfoy. I, for one, would like to think Ginny has the common sense not to date Malfoy, no matter how cute his arse may be," Hermione quipped.

"Hermione, that was just wrong… awful and wrong," I declared. "Well, if she's dating Zabini, maybe she can get him to help us. I did miserably with that. Not only did the guy turn me down, he threw a crumpled up bit of parchment at me. He's not exactly a bucket of sunshine," I muttered.

"To each their own," Hermione surmised. Suddenly, an inhuman howl of fury was released from somewhere in the boy's corridor, and the color left Hermione's face so suddenly I almost expected to see a puddle of blood at her feet. "The map."

Ron came rushing down the corridor and into the common room, the Marauder's Map in his hand, and Harry rushing behind him.

"When I get my hands on Zabini, I'll bleed him dry!" Ron shouted, storming out the portrait hole.

Hermione and I scrambled to our feet, as Harry followed Ron out. "Ron, stop," I begged, as he zipped down a corridor to the left to the Room of Requirement.

"Ron, you're not thinking!" Hermione protested, but it was too late, he'd thrown open the door, and we could all see Ginny and Blaise, obviously naked beneath the blanket, snuggled to the couch.

As the door cracked against the wall, Blaise and Ginny's eyes flew open, and Ginny scrambled up, holding the blanket against her. "What are you doing?" She screeched, horrified.

"You bastard!" screamed Ron, zeroing in on Blaise.

"Get the hell out, you bleeding lunatic!" Blaise shouted at Ron. Blaise barely had enough time to pull on his boxers before Ron flew at him, knocking them both to the ground.

"Ron, stop!" Ginny shouted, as Blaise grabbed him by the neck.

"You fucking bastard, taking advantage, don't you know she's…" Ron seethed in fury as he landed blow after blow on Blaise.

"What, fragile?" Blaise asked with a snort, making Ron stop.

"Ron, I can take care of myself, and I would appreciate if you didn't try and bloody up my boyfriend," Ginny shrieked. "Particularly when you consider the fact that he's going to help save your girlfriend's life!" Ginny steadied herself and took a few deep breaths before saying, "Now would everyone calm down and hear Blaise out. He's made some really good points about flaws in our plan."

"What flaws?" Hermione and I asked at the same time, looking defensive. We'd put a lot of thought into this plan, what could possibly be wrong with it?

"Well, your first mistake was thinking that Lillith is strong enough in her comatose state to feed off of the lust you plan to create. She's not," Blaise explained.

"Well, we're basically fucked is what you're saying," Ron asked, his face turning red.

"Ron, I asked you to hear him out. Either do this willingly or at wand point," Ginny threatened, quieting him.

"Actually, there is a way to open her up enough to feed again. It's really, really simple. Someone needs to remind her it's not her time to go yet. Does anyone here know Lillith's deepest reason to live? What is currently driving her?" Blaise asked. As his eyes shifted between each of us, I saw shadows and secrets flicker in each of our eyes, until his eyes finally rested on Ginny, who had a deep look of unease on her face.

"I do," she said reluctantly. "I'll be the one to remind her. This is Lillith's secret I'm holding and I can't give it away to anyone else."

"And there is another problem no one has thought out yet. Who's going to have sex with the unmarried Professors?" Blaise asked, with a smirk alike to Draco Malfoy on his face. "And who will distract Lupin? He'll know what's happening in an instant. I doubt he'd try and stop us, but I know he'd get in our way."

"I'll distract Lupin," I offered quickly. All eyes turned on me, and I felt my face grow hot.

"Parvati, no," Harry said. "You can't do that."

"I know that in all this mess you guys have forgotten, and I forgive you, but my seventeenth birthday is in just four days. I'll be of age, and both Lupin and I will be free and clear, because I take my Defensive studies with a different teacher than the rest of you."

"You don't have to do this for us, Parvati," Ron said, tiredly. I looked at him and knew what it would do to him if I said no. He was standing on his last leg here, and without Lillith, it wouldn't take much to undo him.

"I'm not doing it for you," I said, and looked away from their eyes as my face burned. _**My secret was out. Now they all knew I wasn't as innocent, or steeped in Middle Eastern tradition as my sister in Ravenclaw. If Padma knew, she would say I am disgracing Allah and my family. I wouldn't be able to argue with her, because she would be right.**_

"Okay, now that we have that covered, the next problem is that Draco knows Lillith is a siren. Who wants to obliviate his memory after we're done with the potion?" Blaise asked.

"Why do we need to obliviate is memory?" Harry asked.

"Oh Merlin, Potter. You really are as stupid as they say, aren't you?" Blaise snapped. "Do you really think that if Draco knows little Lupin is a powerful member of a dying species that he's just going to keep that information to himself and not tell the Dark Lord?"

"I'll do it. So stop being such a jackass, Zabini," Hermione snapped.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Granger. I'll leave your little boyfriend alone."

"Merlin, does everyone know?" Hermione groaned.

"Yes! Now can you all get the hell out?" Ginny asked. "Arguing with you all while wearing nothing but a towel was _not _on my agenda tonight."

"But, Ginny," Ron began.

"Get out!" She shouted, her face turning as red as her hair.

Humbled, Ron turned toward the door, and we all followed suit. The last one out, when I reached the door, I turned and looked directly into Blaise's eyes. "Thank you for helping us. If you knew Lillith, you would understand, but each of us needs her in a different way. Lillith coming to Hogwarts was the best thing that's happened in a long time for all of us. I can't imagine losing her. The fact that you're willing to risk so much to help her means a lot to all of us. It means a lot to Ron and Harry, too, even if they'll never admit it to you." Unable to say anything else, and not willing to wait for a response, I shut the door, and heading back to the common room, I cried. I cried for Ron, who would be lost if our plan failed. I cried for Ginny, Blaise, and the hardships we knew they would face. I cried for Remus, who I would hurt, and was already hurting for his daughter. Largely, I cried for all of the principles, laws and moral values I was going to break for the friend I had come to love as a sister.

_Hermione_

_One Week Later…_

"Dinner is in an hour, ferret," Ron reminded Draco, "So move it or lose it. If you don't get this potion ready on time, I'll pull you limb by limb and we can see just how pure your blood really is."

"Ginevra, can you control that Weasel you call your brother? He's distracting me," Malfoy said coolly.

"You could try addressing one of us," I suggested to him dryly. "After all, it gets uncomfortable on the days Ginny isn't here." Harry and Parvati cracked smiles, Ginny rolled her eyes, exhausted at the banter, and Malfoy just glowered at me. "Or not," I conceded. "Just continue on ignoring my very existence," I continued, "that works too."

"That's exactly what I'm planning on doing, Mudblood, but you're making it exceedingly difficult," He sneered.

"Draco Malfoy, you promised you wouldn't call her that," Ginny scolded. "Now take it back."

Malfoy raised his eyebrows, clearly having not expected anyone, Ginny especially to call him out on his bad behavior. Stunned, he simply said, "Sorry, Granger. Ginevra, I apologize for breaking my promise."

"That's more like it," She declared, wiping her hands on her apron. It was slowly becoming obvious that Malfoy and Ginny had a soft spot for each other; her being in love with his best friend had been reason enough for him to give her a chance. "Now add the mint. We need hide the scent of the essence; otherwise nobody will eat their food tonight."

Grumbling a little, Malfoy dumped in the pre-chopped mint into the potion, stirred it a few times, and with a grim look on his face, said, "The potion's done. I hope you know what you're doing." He paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, and then looked at Parvati. "Patil, are you going to say something to me?"

Parvati touched the top of his head, and said quietly, "I release you from your debt."

As soon as she released her fingertips from his head, he whipped out his wand. Already foreseeing this, I threw out my hand, and shouted, "Obliviate," and proudly watched Malfoy fall to the ground, unconscious.

"Hermione," Ginny gasped. "That was wandless magic. Really powerful wandless magic!"

I couldn't help but blush at the grins and shocked stares. "I've been practicing a little," I admitted. "It's all beside the point," I muttered, dragging Malfoy to the fireplace. Throwing some floo powder on top of him, I shouted, "Slytherin Common Room," and watched as, with a flash of green light, Malfoy disappeared.

"Harry, you have to get this to Dobby, fast. Dinner is almost ready, I imagine," I said. All of us paused, uneasily, and looked at each other. My stomach did flip-flops as I thought about what we were about to do.

"We're saving her life," Ron reminded us. "We're saving her life."

A fire in his eyes again, Harry said, "Damn the rest."

_Harry_

_Dinner…_

I fidgeted nervously in my seat, as I looked around the Great Hall. Over at Slytherin Table, Blaise Zabini looked cool and calm, a different story than the rest of us. Draco Malfoy looked as if he'd been confunded, probably a result of Hermione's memory charm. Ron was absent, at Lillith's bedside already. Hermione kept nervously twirling her hair, and looking up at the teacher's table, and Parvati looked pasty and pale, a difficult task, as she was Middle Eastern. Ginny was the only one of us appearing calm, and I suspected she was screaming inside. Parvati gave a strangled but soft cry when the food appeared on our plates; as if she'd forgotten it appeared by magic.

"The effects won't set in immediately. We will have about ten minutes after we finish eating to remain clearheaded. So if you don't want to unintentionally shag Neville Longbottom, I suggest you move fast when you're finished," Hermione had warned us.

Tentatively, I took a bite of my dinner, and when it didn't taste like acid, I dug in. I was eating away at everything on my plate, valiantly ignoring everything else until Hermione elbowed me in the ribs and pointed farther down the table. I looked up, following her gaze to Parvati's place, and I almost swallowed my fork. Parvati was already on seconds, and eating as if she was trying to make sure it was still dead. "Wow, she's really nervous," I said, surprised. Parvati had sounded calm and cool earlier in the week when she had agreed to our plan, but it seemed as if she had done a complete one-eighty. She looked scared to wits.

"There's nothing we can do now," Ginny said, and continued eating.

Feeling guilty for Parvati, but knowing Ginny was right, I continued to eat, until the plate vanished underneath my fork. Surprised, I looked up to find that an hour had passed and dinner was over. Rather than listen to Dumbledore's ramblings, we all looked to Parvati. She smiled weakly, although she looked ready to faint. "Hermione, I feel like we're raping her," I said.

"Shut up, Harry. She wants to," Hermione hissed at me.

_What? _I looked at Hermione, confused. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"She wants to sleep with Lupin. She's just scared to death her family will find out," Hermione explained. "Harry, you would have to meet them. They're very traditional." Hermione paused, and then smiled up at me. "I'm just happy we have each other, and don't have to worry about any of that."

"Yeah," I agreed weakly, squeezing her hand. "I love you," I added.

"I love you, too."

"Are you guys ready?" Ginny asked, standing, and looking around the Great Hall.

"Yeah. You can go on ahead and find Blaise. We're all okay," Parvati said firmly, standing to join us. Then she turned, abruptly, and left the Great Hall, no doubt to head off Lupin.

Ginny grinned weakly at us. "Now or never, I suppose," she said. Ginny and Blaise had agreed tonight was the best time to come out about their relationship, and we all knew Ginny was nervous and excited. She turned away from us, and when she zeroed in on Blaise, she zipped through the crowd, and jumped into his arms. Laughing, Blaise swung her around, and then set her down, kissing her soundly on the mouth. Shocked murmurs ran through the crowd, fewer than we'd imagined were disapproving.

"Why do I feel like we just had a child go off to University?" I asked Hermione.

"Ginny was always the baby in the crowd," Hermione explained. "Now, we've finally let her go. It's like she grew up while we weren't looking or something."

"Tell me about it. Now, let's find us a dark corner or a closet," I whispered in her ear.

She looked down, blushing, and dragged me towards the door of the Great Hall. When we were safely in her dormitory, empty because Lillith was in the hospital wing, and Ginny undoubtedly in Slytherin House somewhere, Hermione slipped out of her robes, leaving a skirt too short for her, and a flimsy white button up shirt. It was like every muggle boy's dream of a naughty school girl, and my mouth went dry as I unavoidably hardened.

"I'm a little nervous," Hermione whispered. "But I think the potion's kicking in."

"Yeah, I think so too," I said shakily, as my pants became tight and uncomfortable. _Merlin, she was gorgeous, _I thought, _I can't believe this girl is in love with me._ I felt an odd tingle, and then my entire body grew hot and I felt as if fire was running through my veins, as my erection became painful.

Hermione eyes widened, as she slowly walked towards me. Feeling that she wasn't fast enough, I reached out and pulled her to me. "How much of that is the potion?" She asked.

"Not a whole hell of a lot," I whispered. "Wait," I said. "I want you to know this first, before I can't stop. I love you. I love you, and I'm sorry we couldn't have waited longer-"

Her finger over my lips cut me off, as she said, "I wouldn't want it any other way. I love you, too." That was our last coherent thought before the potion flared up, and Hermione got a deliciously evil look in her eyes, as she reached for my belt…

_Parvati…_

I shivered nervously as I dropped my cloak at the door of Professor Lupin's classroom, and cast a prying-eyes spell on the room, before throwing my wand on top of my cloak. The mirror whistled at me, and I turned towards it, my reflection looking much more self confident than I felt.

I was decked out in the same uniform as the other girls, with a few extra touches of mine and Ginny's own. Underneath the slightly sheer white button up shirt we all wore, was a lacy black bra that was visible, and instead of the orange and black longer plaid pleated skirt, was a shorter red and black plaid skirt, that was short enough to show the tops of my thigh-high tights held up by a garter belt. Where Ginny had found these things I was too embarrassed to ask.

"Hussy," the mirror said distastefully.

With a huff, I threw my cloak over the mirror, who gave a small shriek of displeasure, and quieted. I sat atop Lupin's desk, and leaned back, waiting, as my stomach did somersaults. After was felt like and eternity, but what I knew had to be only minutes, the door creaked open, and Lupin came in, halfway to the desk before he looked up and saw me.

"Miss Patil," He said, with a confused look in his eyes, and if trying to decide if I was intentionally being sexy before he said anything else.

"Hi, Remus," I said, breathless in anticipation. Remus was relatively young compared to the other professors, Lillith had been born merely three years after Remus had graduated. A young looking thirty six, his dark blond hair held an attractively placed streak of grey, and his eyes were the same mercury color. His body was in the same shape as a fit teenager, looking far too young for his age. My only reason for knowing this being the time I had accidentally seen him working out on the quidditch pitch at the beginning of school. I had been embarrassed beyond belief, but undeniably curious.

"Miss Patil, you must leave," Lupin said, his voice shaking.

"Now, you don't really want me to do that, do you?" I asked, hopping down from his desk. I smiled wickedly up at him. "You wouldn't want me to waste this new lingerie, would you?"

"Parvati, you are young enough to be my daughter, and this is illegal," He said. I couldn't tell who he was trying to convince more, me or himself.

"But, oh, you're wrong. I'm two years older than your daughter, and I'm perfectly legal as of three days ago," I said. I smiled wickedly, feeling the burning in my blood Hermione had warned me about. When recognition and shock flickered in his eyes, I knew I had him.

"You… you didn't," He whispered, clearly unable to believe his best students had made such a highly illegal potion, and that one of those same students was trying to seduce him.

"We did. Now you're right where I want you," I whispered, grabbing his tie, and pulling him against me. I reached up on my toes, and brought my mouth to his. I gasped, as the fire in my veins became more intense, and his tongue slipped into my mouth. I moaned as I drowned in the kiss, and the lust, until I forgot the possible consequences of my actions. As Remus gave himself over to the potion, he pulled me closer, and I could feel him pressed up against my belly, hard and needing.

He broke apart from me momentarily. "Are you sure?" He asked. Wordlessly, I took his hand and placed his hand under my skirt. His eyes widened, and he said, "Oh, you _are_ sure."

"Never more in my life," I whispered, undoing his belt.

"Wait," He said, and picked me up in his arms. "Not here," He said, and carried me into his quarters, and placed me on the bed.

Gasping, I yanked off his belt, and worked furiously at his zipper. "Please," I begged, "It burns." The fire in my blood just kept burning hotter, and I knew I'd made a mistake at dinner.

"You had too much, Parvati," He warned. "I'll make it go away."

"Please," I begged, as he slipped out of his slacks, and then his boxers. "Please!" I screamed, as the heat became unbearable. "It hurts!"

"Not for long," he promised, as my underwear was discarded. "I promise it wont hurt for long."

I sighed in relief when he pressed inside of me, then tensed up as he met resistance. Thankfully, Lupin was too far gone, and pressed on, and then seconds later, the pain was gone… and all that was left was Lupin, inside me, and the feeling that nothing could _ever _be the same.

_Ginny…_

With barely enough time to take in my surroundings in Blaise's room, we tumbled onto his bed, and made quick work of each other's clothes, as I felt the heat in my blood begin. "I didn't know it would be like this," Blaise whispered. "I didn't know I could want you this much. I don't think it's just the potion."

"Blaise, stop talking, and start working," I said, and cried out in relief as he plunged inside of me. "Oh, thank Aphrodite!" I moaned, as I clung to him. Both of us were carried away by the wave of lust, and my vision was a blur as my mind struggled to keep up with my body.

As much as Hermione had told us about the potion I was totally unprepared for the searing heat that borderlined on pain that came over me as Blaise and I were pushed over the edge. I cried out in relief and fell exhausted in a heap on Blaise's bed, and sighed as the world went black.

_The Hospital Wing…_

I cried out in pain as I woke to white hot agony searing every inch of my body, and the sound of someone screaming in anguish. The room was dark, and I couldn't tell if it was night, or if the pain was just keeping me clouded. The screaming was hurting my ears, and I slowly realized it was me who was screaming.

"Lillith," someone whispered to me in the darkness. "Lillith, you're okay!"

"Make it stop!" I screamed. "Make the pain stop!" I shrieked. "It burns! Kill me! Make it stop!"

"I will, I will," they promised, and I felt something icy and cold slide down my throat, and then everything disappeared again.

When I swam to the surface of consciousness again, I heard Dumbledore somewhere off in the distance, and he sounded deeply upset. "I have no proof that you were behind this, so I cannot do anything at this moment, but I know you did this. You brewed a highly illegal potion, erased a student's memory of an entire week, and took away many people's freewill tonight. I have used illegal memory charms to cover for your gross negligence tonight, and have risked my career. If you _ever,_ and I mean, _ever_ set a toe out of line in this school again, I promise to come down on you six hard. And Miss Granger, I expected more out of you!" He hissed.

"Just tell us she'll be okay!" Ginny begged, and I could hear tears in her voice.

_Six? _I wondered. _Who was number six? Ron, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Parvati. Five. Who was the sixth?_

"Headmaster, please tell us if she'll be okay," I heard a vaguely familiar voice ask.

I shot up in bed, my eyes wide open. "Blaise Zabini?" I cried.

Shock panned every face but Dumbledore's, who had a grin as wide as the horizon. "Why don't you ask her for yourself?"

As everyone crowded around my bed, I had to know, "How long?" When Hermione answered me, I wailed, "I missed Christmas?"

The Hospital wing broke out in laughs.


End file.
